LABOUR Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols shares her views in this week’s column.

As ever, Warrington leads the way. Last week’s elections sent a clear message to the Conservatives, that their time is up and we want a fresh start.

I am proud that the good people of Warrington re-elected our Labour council with an increased majority, and we now only have one Conservative councillor left.

It is time that we had the same opportunity for Parliament.

After fourteen long years it is hard to escape the feeling that nothing in our country works any more.

Despite levels of tax that we haven’t seen since the 1940s our public services are on their knees, especially the NHS. People are still struggling with the cost of living crisis even though the Tories want to pretend that things are better now. And the government can’t find the money to compensate for severe injustices to our citizens, from WASPI women to the infected blood survivors.

Election day last week should have been the time to set the country on a different course.

A spring election brings hope for a better future.

Instead, the Prime Minister in his bunker is not listening.

He thinks that we still have faith in him and his policies and that they’ll be re-elected when the time comes.

This arrogance even extends to thinking that the public aren’t entitled to know when the election will be!

I think we are all due an apology. We need a government that is looking to the future to rescue our country and make it the great place to live, work and retire that it should be.

I want to see the UK match Warrington’s drive, energy, aspiration and compassion. Instead the government is just marking time, enjoying the trappings of power while they still have it.

I will be campaigning for a Labour government that will increase the numbers of police on our street, give us better access to GP services and dentistry, address our mental health provision, especially for young people, and finally build the new hospital that we desperately need.

We all deserve better than this.

Whether it is in the summer, the autumn or let’s hope not the winter, that general election is coming and we will get our say at last.