There’s been no actual change of direction for decades irrespective of who holds Office; the removal of State liability for children and adults has been the policy path since, and I’d say, the NHS Reforms in 1974. And, as with smoking cessation it takes about 50yrs to kick the habit at industry level.

The relevance and commitment to LASSA which has been undermined by little know secondary legislation for decades, picking off those most vulnerable on State dependencies for help ~ it requires full and frankly frank public debate ~ the Harehills Roits of yesterday are the manifest consequences of this policy path dependency and without the EU framework of State Aid are simply outside the financial scope of all Council’s.

I have worked for several years in both Harehills and Gipton, and like Belle Isle in the South of the City morbidity and mortality rates at geographical population level remains a flatline.

Increasing the rhetoric and ideology of choice, or stated preferences for x,y,z, is simply a modern selling technique but towards, What?

The reaction at local level is, now, a F**k Off ~ Or What!!! Gentrification of the surrounding areas populated by the degree educated professionals doing-good adds insult to injury.

Any, organisational or trauma informed psychologist will tell you it’s about systemic invalidation ~ the Blair administration at lthe very east published its, and seriously high end, work, called Enhanced Treatment Modelling, on this, and across all vulnerable populations.

Messages from Research, was for children, becoming the overarching framework for, the then, policy direction.

It’s hard to believe that, in 2024, the same powder gegs are being ignited over and over again and impacting the same groups of people in the same places again.

The City of Leeds, and I am a Leeds lad from Belle Isle, can if it so wishes pull-off, and pull-out-of-the-ashes of Harehills a reinvigorated response; Stella Creeay, should be added to lead on this ~ a Pheonix Child is needed.

The Pheonix dance school originated in the area, the Palace Youth Project drove attention towards the crazy detention of young black men under the MHA, and the Black Health Caucus championed alternative ways of thinking and working; for everyone!

Unite, remains active in Leeds, and hiphop’s Leeds Mafia remains focal ~ engage them putting money where the mouth is.

Multiculturalism is worth fighting for but one has to be prepared to hold and stand ground ~ this is what, or the F**k Off, Or What! moment ~ seizing the opportunity does though mean seeing past the fear!

Just saying….