This episode is a clear example of flip-flopping from a Government that promised stability but has delivered confusion instead. Local authorities need clarity and consistency to plan properly, particularly at a time of intense financial pressure and major structural reform. Instead, Labour created doubt over democratic mandates and left councils unsure whether elections would go ahead, only to reverse course under pressure.

That kind of instability makes it harder for councils to focus on delivering services. It distracts from the real issues: rising demand in social care, stretched budgets, infrastructure pressures and the need for fair funding for counties and rural areas.

Local government deserves better than last-minute announcements and policy reversals. If Labour is serious about supporting councils, it needs to provide certainty, proper funding settlements, and genuine partnership - not headline-grabbing proposals followed by hasty retreats.

Communities expect leadership. What they have seen instead is inconsistency.

This Wednesday, Octopus Energy held an open consultation in Stradbroke regarding the plans to install a wind turbine between the village, Laxfield and Fressingfield. Whilst the matter of planning and approval of the turbine sits with Mid Suffolk District Council, and therefore does not fall under my purview as County Councillor for Hoxne and Eye, I felt it important to attend the consultation nonetheless, specifically to explore the community benefits being offered as part of the project, and the potential funding for additional infrastructure within and around Stradbroke if it’s development proceeds forward.

I should be going into further detail this at a later date, but I thought it was important to stress now that I take a view that is neither for or against the wind turbine project, as it falls outside my jurisdiction and therefore it is simply my role to listen to the concerns of residents on both sides of the debate. I completely understand the need for farmers to diversify their incomes in the uncertainty of the rural economy, but I also recognise that it is not simply those that own the land that are stakeholders in what takes place on and around it.

I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the consultation and the feedback provided by those who attended the consultation, and where this discussion is headed next.

I honestly could not be prouder of the team that made this happen. We knew we had a uphill battle ahead of us after the Green’s stormed through at the general election in July, but with the support of a great team, and working with dozens of volunteers who kept turning out week after week, we got the result we wanted over the line by four votes. The members, councillors, and other volunteers who made the time to join us on the doorstep, our margin of victory is a credit to you all, because every interaction you had, every leaflet you posted and every letter you sealed, helped to decide this result.

The biggest thank you however goes to you the voters, who placed your trust in me to represent you at Suffolk County Council until the local elections in May 2025. Being able to speak to as many of you as possible was at the forefront of this campaign, and it is that person-to-person connection that got us over the line on Thursday. Whether you voted for me or went another way, I will do my best to represent the interests of all voters within the division, bringing my knowledge and understanding of key areas to help deliver a greater level of public service for our residents.

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Communication will be key to the next seven months being a success, and so I would encourage as many of you as possible to subscribe to this newsletter and follow me on social media, where I will be keeping residents up to date on essential local issues.

From next week, I will be attending parish and town council meetings, starting to deliver on my election promises straight away, so you can rest assured that work begins now.

I am writing to remind you of the by-election due to be held here in the Hoxne & Eye division of Suffolk County Council on the 10th of October.

I am standing to succeed the late Peter Gould, who had been your representative on the County Council from 2021 until this July. It is an honour to fight this by-election in our area, with its beautiful landscapes, great food, and lovely community spirit. It is my favourite place to be.

I currently live near Laxfield with my family and our three dogs, and so while I enjoy the great things our area has to offer, I also see the issues that we face from day to day. From improving rural bus services and tackling the lack of access to banking facilities to ensuring proper highways maintenance and preserving our beautiful countryside, these are the challenges that I want to tackle with your support. I know that HGV routes have been a particularly pressing issue for a lot of residents, and I am committed to finding a balanced solution that benefits all communities within the area.

I have previously worked in both the environmental industry, as well as the Higher Education sector, and I know that my experience in these areas will prepare me well to serve you from day one of being elected. I believe that in this role, collaboration is key, and that by working together, we can make a real difference. If you elect me, I'll be your county councillor until the local elections in May 2025, when you'll have the opportunity to decide again who you want to represent you. I am determined to prove to you that my party is the party of delivery and service, both locally and county-wide, and the right party to represent you.

Over the coming weeks, I will be out and about in the division, keen to meet as many of you as possible and hear your thoughts, concerns, and priorities. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to chat. Your concerns are my concerns, and I am here to ensure they are addressed.

I look forward to working for you and with you.

Best wishes,

Henry Lloyd

Today I announce my candidacy to be the next County Councillor for Hoxne & Eye, and let it be made clear now that we have a difficult fight ahead. The government have already begun the process of turning its back on the promises made in the general election and declared an anathema on the hard-working people of this country.

The Green Party are in no position to speak either, as they grow more divided and more extreme month after month. Nationally, on key societal and cultural issues, the rural Greens of Suffolk could not be further from the urban elites in London or Bristol, or the radical activists in Birmingham or Leeds, and yet they remain silent and unwilling to speak up against pockets of anti-semitism, or the revolutionary anti-capitalist economic policies of the party leadership.

In Suffolk, we must lead the resistance to this affront, and I will make it a mission of mine, if elected, to be a loud voice for all in the towns and villages of Hoxne & Eye. Here, in our beautiful patch of England, we have some of the best food, views, and culture that the country has to offer, and as your County Councillor, I will do my utmost to conserve and champion the treasures of our area.

We must also acknowledge the things that need to change. We need better cross-border bus services into Norfolk, to places like Harleston and Diss. We need to work towards expanding our provision of local GPs and Dentists. We need to address the growing issues with the state of our roads, seeking solutions to heavy goods traffic in towns like Eye. And we need to do more to support our farming communities and the local environment, like cleaning up the River Waveney.

There is considerable progress to be made, as well as conserving our rural way of life, and if you elect me, I will be your voice within the Conservative administration on Suffolk County Council, giving you a seat at the decision-making table.

Subscribe below to stay up to date with our campaign and on the 10th of October, Vote for Henry Lloyd, Vote Conservative.

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