First fifty conversations - Bracknell deserves better, help us shape the future

I am fifty conversations into my 100 conversations in 100 days project, one message keeps coming back:

Everything costs more, but too much of what people rely on feels worse. I launched the project after being selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Bracknell, because I wanted to understand what is happening across the constituency by listening directly to residents, charity volunteers, shopkeepers, business owners and community groups across Bracknell Forest.

Bills keep rising, but residents do not see the same improvement in the things around them. Roads still need attention, the high street still faces pressures, and too many people feel that local pride is slipping rather than growing.

The pressure looks different in every conversation, but it is everywhere. Families are stretched. Small business owners describe tight margins and unreasonable business rates. Charities are helping more people even as their own costs rise and grants are cut. One charity leader told me about sleepless nights spent wondering whether her organisation would still be operating at the end of the month.

Beneath the immediate cost-of-living pressure lies a deeper worry: what future are we leaving for the next generation? Parents and grandparents fear that their children will struggle to find a decent job, let alone afford a home. They can already see that the next generation may not enjoy the same quality of life they did. Young people, meanwhile, tell me they feel anxious about what lies ahead.

I don’t pretend there are easy answers, and no local party should pretend they can fix global pressures. But a great deal that affects daily life is decided locally, and that is where Bracknell Forest Liberal Democrats will focus in our manifesto for the May 2027 local elections. Four priorities already stand out.

A stronger local economy. Bracknell has long been a place where businesses start and grow, but good jobs just don't happen. We want to make the borough a more attractive place to invest, support our existing businesses and help young people find high-quality local work. That means working closely with employers, colleges and training providers, so that companies will invest. A thriving local economy is the best long-term answer to the cost of living, because it raises incomes as well as lowering costs.

Protecting the services people rely on. Money is tight for every council, and difficult decisions are unavoidable. But residents tell me they want to see their money spent carefully and the basics done well: the services that support older people, vulnerable families, young people and our communities. The Lib Dem approach is to run services efficiently, protect what matters most and be honest about trade-offs. For example, with one of my Lib Dem colleagues, I’ve recently got involved in the build of the new Warfield Community Hub. We are working hard to ensure residents have a voice in shaping the way the new centre will work.

A better environment, and sustainable development. Residents understand that we need new homes in this country, but they want development done properly, with the right infrastructure, green spaces and respect for the character of our neighbourhoods. They are also fed up with littering and fly-tipping, which blights our streets and countryside and costs taxpayers’ money to clear up. We need better prevention and tougher enforcement for the worst offenders, including for the illegal and anti-social burning of waste, so that people can take pride in and enjoy where they live.

A proud and united community. People have told me how proud they are of their town and their neighbourhoods, and how determined they are not to let decline take hold. They want cleaner, safer and more welcoming places, but they also want neighbours to feel connected rather than divided.

We must reject the hatred and division pushed by the far right, which seeks to drive wedges between people who live side by side. Our approach will be to bring residents together, working collaboratively and supporting the local groups, volunteers and events that make Bracknell Forest a place where everyone can belong and contribute.

These priorities are not a finished manifesto, and that's deliberate. The conversations are still going on, and what I hear will shape what we put forward. The best ideas come from people who deal with these challenges every day.

If there is one thing I have learned from the first fifty conversations, it is that people are not asking for miracles. They are asking to be heard, to see the basics done well and to know that someone will keep working on the problems that impact their daily lives.

I have fifty conversations still to go, and each one can help shape what comes next. If you run a business, volunteer for a local charity, belong to a community or faith group or simply have something to say about life in Bracknell Forest, I would like to hear from you. Tell me what is working, what is getting harder and what you believe should change.

Jo.hawley@bracknelllibdems.co.uk

Jo Hawley is the prospective parliamentary candidate for Bracknell for the Liberal Democrats.