Helen Lewis

I think some people just like to be near something that seems exciting and new.

And that is Zach Polanski.

Back to local politics.

Yeah, and I think that's the thing you feel that on one level councillors have not got a great deal of control over lots of stuff.

Most of them are burdened by adult social care and that's where the majority of their budget goes and that limits their actions.

However, if it's stuff like getting your mate up the housing waiting list, then actually there are things as a councillor you can do.

The temptations that councillors feel are often in the sort of nepotism-y kind of variety, aren't they?

Well, talking, we now criticise reform and the Greens.

So let's talk about a really crap Labour Council and Birmingham.

I don't think that's not unfair, is it?

You can tell me if you were canvassed.

I live in Lewisham.

We were canvassed by some very nice Greens who were former Labour people.

And one of the things they said is we want to end austerity.

And I was like, sounds good.

But with what money?

Like, I don't think the Lewisham council is secretly sitting on a smorgasbord pot of gold that they've just been cruelly refusing to disperse up until now.

Well, take down the progress flag from over the town hall and that's £100 million.

That's it.

One of my biggest groans during this campaigning season was Ed Davey, leader of the Lib Dems, saying that he wants to impose a duty on every new housing development to have a GP surgery.