THE university lecturer elected to lead Carlisle City Council’s Labour Group has spoken of his political vision – and his hope that his party can ‘reconnect’ with voters.

Les Tickner’s appointment came after his predecessor, Councillor Colin Glover, stepped down from the role.

“I’m not making excuses but it was a low turnout," said Les, who was elected to the City Council in 2012 and served as Labour Group's Deputy Leader for five years. "Fewer than one in five people voted.”

Mr Tickner welcomed ongoing infrastructure investment – amounting to around £250m over the next few years – now being directed towards Carlisle during the tenure of Conservative MP John Stevenson.

“We obviously welcome any investment into the city,” said Mr Tickner. “But they’ve been in charge for 11 years now. But by the end of next year, they’ll have taken £13m of revenue from us.

“They’ve had 11 years to level up and mostly they’ve levelled down, to be honest. The stats still show that in this area poverty is rising; homelessness is rising; and the quality of jobs is not improving in our city.

“It’s only recently that they’ve decided levelling up is the right thing to do. It’s the same with spending on infrastructure. That’s what they’re doing now but that’s something the Labour Party have always believed in.“They’re stealing a lot of our policies – such as renationalising the railways. They’d never have considered that a few years ago.”

Asked what his party’s biggest task now was, Mr Tickner said: “It’s re-engaging with Labour supporters and getting more of them to vote. Even in a normal local election, you’re lucky to get 20 to 25 per cent voting.

“It tends to be just one in four people voting.

“What you find on the doorstep is that people think they don’t need to vote because we’re already got enough votes – so they don’t bother.

“The biggest issues [facing Carlisle] are that, once furlough goes, will be [keeping] the promise that nobody will lose their home over covid. They’re already looking at watering down the legislation that protects people.

“There’ll be a lot of money needed for the mental health issues affecting people who have lost their job through covid.

“And it’s worth remembering that 70 per cent of the people who are claiming Universal Credit are working. So there’s a lot of in-work poverty. Working people are not earning enough.

“There’s a huge need for council housing. In my area, there are a lot of families who have [adult] children living with them because they've no other option. There’s nowhere decent to rent at a good price and they can’t afford to buy.

“There’s a huge need for stable, affordable house, and secure tenancies.”

Of Keir Starmer, still smarting from the disappointing local election results last month, Les said he is the right man for his party’s top job. “Keir has been democratically elected by the membership.

“He’s doing the right thing; he’s making the party open to the middle ground. Labour are there for businesses as well as people who are struggling." Mr Tickner said the Conservatives were not doing a good job at protecting the High Street.

A radical cut in business rates would better protect city centre businesses such as Debenham, said Les. "They need to re-level the playing field quickly, with companies which are out of town paying more business rates, in my view, balancing them off with the city centre ones.

"If you walk through the city centre, which I do regularly, there's a huge infrastructure there which we need to find alternative use for or make them attractive so alternative businesses can operate from there."

Referring to the major investment that is coming to Carlisle - such as the Borderlands deal, the garden village and the southern relief road - Mr Tickner said they were a legacy of the formerly ruling Labour Group’s ambition, initiative and financial competence.

City Council's current Leader - Conservative John Mallinson - said the government has been "shifting vast amounts" of investment into areas such as Carlisle which previously did not have their fair share.

"The crumbling of 'red wall' constituencies shows that people are supporting or approach," said Mr Mallinson. "We now have a refreshing new Government which is doing things in a new way."

Carlisle City Council will also be able to make a bid to the Government's levelling up fund, he said. Of the Government's handling of the covid crisis, Mr Mallinson said: "Businesses have been helped enormously - both through the furlough scheme and through all sorts of other schemes, including rates holidays.

"The Government has tried to help people as best it can; and it has also helped the health service and education. In my view, the chancellor Rishi Sunak has stepped up to the plate and done what he can to help us get through this."

After a 27 per cent turnout at the last Carlisle City Council election, the Conservatives hold 19 seats, Labour 13, the Green Party one, Independents four, UKIP one, and the Liberal Democrats one.