Voting Today.

I have been to the Polling Station and voted, for details of candidates, by ward, for the Hastings Borough Council election, go to the Council website. Fot information about the Police & Crime Commissioner @ website.

3 Weeks Until Local Elections

You've probably all received poll cards by now, but you don't need to take your poll card with you to the polling station, however, you now do need to take photo ID if you want to vote at the local elections, and for Police & Crime Commissioner, on Thursday the 2nd of May 2024, and whenever the General Election is held. If you turn up at the polling booth without photo ID, you won't be allowed to vote, so get it now if you don't already have an acceptable method of ID, and don't want to lose your right to vote.

Acceptable photo ID includes an original (not photocopied) Passport, Driving Licence, Older or Disabled Persons' Bus Pass, Freedom Pass, other Concessionary Travel Cards and SmartPasses, PASS Card, and EEA ID cards. For full details of acceptable photo ID go to the Electoral Commission website.

If you don't have any photo ID that qualifies, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, providing you are on the Electoral Register, at the Government website.

If you want your name to be added to the Electoral Register, go to the Government website, where you can register online, or, again, lose the right to vote. You have until 11.59pm on the 16th of April 2024 to register, and don't forget, a General Election is due within the next 9 months.

This policy was introduced last year, if you want further details, and of how it went for elections last year and by-elections, go to this Parliamentary Research Briefing.

For further details go to the Electoral Commission website. 👍

Don't lose your right to vote or forget people lost their lives fighting for your rights! 

Oh yes, and what a waste of taxpayers' money, the Government should have had the General Election on the same day as the local elections, just have the one day's costs not 2 in a year! Plus it would have been interesting to see how local councils changed with a larger turnout than usual, oh well...😒

Elections Looming...

Less than 2 months away, on Thursday the 6th of May 2021 to be exact, there will be Local Elections for Hastings Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, including for those Hastings ward elections postponed last year (HBC website). 

If you are not already on the Electoral Register, you can register online at the Government website.  Registering online only takes about 5 minutes, and remember, if you are not on the register you cannot vote, and you may be fined!*

The website also gives advice about registering, how you may complete a paper form, and I suggest, if you don't want everyone in the world to be able to see your details, you make sure you are not on the Open Register, my free advice, I thank you!

*Explained in older blog.

Council Tax Bill 2020-21

So the latest Council Tax Bill, for 2020 to 2021, arrived on most doorsteps this week, not really any surprise regarding the make-up... East Sussex County Council increase from last year 2.0%, Adult Social Care increase of 2.0%, Hastings Borough Council increase of 2.0%, East Sussex Fire Authority 2.0%.

But what about for the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner? Again, this exceeded the average increase, as it has done in recent years, eg 7.8% compared to 3.0% 2018-19, a whopping 14.5% compared to 3.0% 2019-20 (blog), and this year 5.3% compared to 2.0%. So, whilst Hastings receives no central government grants at all now, we keep on being asked for money over the inflation rate (11.5% over inflation this year passing!) to fund the Police. I doubt many would deny the Police need more funding, with over 23,000 fewer police officers now than in 2010, thanks to austerity cuts, but we keep on paying more, and I don't see any increase in police numbers walking the beat in Hastings, though the occasional support officer or two patrol in police cars.

Indeed, the Prime Minister has suggested he will ensure police numbers are added to by 20,000 officers, but still not enough to equal the number in 2010, and 30,000 fewer than Home Office and Police officials say will actually be required! The reason for that 30,000 number is because "so many are set to leave the service" (BBC).

Don't hold your collective breath.