Foreword

by Councillor John Divers, Labour Leader on the Moray Council

I was first elected to the Moray Council in 1999. To the first-time voters of today the politics of Moray would be unrecognisable. I was one of a group of six Labour representatives elected to the Moray Council. For the first time in the history of Moray, Labour Councillors were in the governing administration of Moray. This period in our local political history was truly transformative. We completely renovated Moray’s school estate with new investment after decades of neglect; we expanded public services, and commissioned Moray’s first flood alleviation scheme. Supported by a Labour-led Scottish Government, we introduced free care in the community to all those in need of it. Regrettably, this legacy has been diminished by successive administrations that appear more content to manage decline than challenge it.

This year, Labour in Moray is running our largest slate of candidates in almost 20 years, with a mixture of experience and new ideas. If elected, it is our intention to use the influence of our larger group of councillors to reverse the decline we have seen in recent years. We plan to do so through substantive change to council priorities, changing the way the council is run, as well as pressurising both the Scottish and UK Governments to make good on their largely unfulfilled promises to local government.

In the British political tradition, a manifesto a programme for administration. This conception, which is predicated upon outright majorities being won, is outdated, and unsuitable for proportional system which usually produces coalition council administrations. This manifesto therefore seeks to reflect the modern realities of local governance.

In each section of this manifesto, we set out both core principles and key objectives. Core principles are somewhat abstract but non-negotiable. We will not agree to support any policy which does not adhere to these principles. Key objectives, by contrast, are more precise. In negotiating any new agenda for Moray, we will seek to ensure that as many of the policies as possible are implemented. This is why it is imperative to ensure that large slate of Labour councillors is elected to the Moray Council. 

You can read our full manifesto here.