TODAY (Tuesday) at Teignbridge District Council’s November 29th meeting, Conservative councillors proposed to use money from community funds to pay for the installation of two trees honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II and celebrating King Charles III.

I wanted to discuss this suggestion rather than pass it for rubber-stamping. Alas, my motion to discuss was not carried. I wanted to challenge what to me reveals a horrible lack of sensitivity to the current needs of struggling families, debt-ridden, homeless and impoverished people in Teignbridge.

The council has no money. We are constantly told this. For the cost of installing a couple of trees we could do so much better. We could, for example, buy support packs for women fleeing domestic abuse or donate to Citizens Advice. There are many needy causes. Too many!

In a briefing from TDC’s financial officer, councillors were reminded that the council has a rolling deficit of 2.5 to 3 million plus per annum. Our gaps are currently plugged by using general reserves. Reserves however, get spent and then what? ‘Continue to lobby Government for funding’ is apparently one of our ‘begging’ options.

Who holds the power? One option councils have, especially Conservative run councils, is to embarrass this Conservative government into changing course. Threaten them with loss of support. The most powerful people right now are Conservative voters. These are the only people our government listens to. Close to home, I’m asking voters to write to their councillors (follow this link - https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx) and ask them to refuse to fund the ‘royal’ trees and put the council’s dwindling funds to immediate local use answering local need.

This is the time of year when the UN campaign for awareness of violence against women and girls. The UN site confirms: ‘One in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner. ‘Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, and the immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences for women and girls can be devastating, including death...’

MP Jess Phillips reads a list of the 2 -3 women murdered each week by men in the House of Commons every year. The list is put together by Karen Ingala Smith and published on her blog ‘Counting Dead Women’.

Recently, on November 22, 2022, Ms Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, died in hospital after a fire at her home which killed her two daughters Naeemah Drammeh, aged one, and Fatimah Drammeh, aged three. A 31-year old man has been charged with their murders. The list is lengthening year on year. Meanwhile our government is failing to fund effective projects to stem a tide of rising violence by men against women.

In the next months, councils across the country will be considering what to cut as they look to set budgets in 2023. It feels like the worst of all balloon debates. Childcare or buses? Charge more for bin collections or fund local community travel.

Look after the elderly or the young. Fund support for dementia or depression? I will propose at our next meeting that Teignbridge Council writes to the government to condemn cuts to councils that bring devastation to the vital services that women and girls rely on to keep them safe.

I will argue for the strengthening of legislation to enable better services including bringing clarity on the definition of sex based rights as enshrined in the Equality Act 2010.

I thank Jess Phillips MP and Karen Ingalla Smith for their efforts in highlighting the dangers women face every week and maintaining the call for Government action to reduce the number of victims.