I WAS inspired by the inauguration speech of President Joe Biden last week. He exhorted his great nation and the world to “build back better”, a view echoed by the new leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer.

We are living through a terrible pandemic. But we are also learning valuable lessons from this experience.

Our governments have had to spend vast amounts of money to support business and employment through this. And the pandemic has further exposed the inequality in our society.

Today, I would like to focus on how I think that we can build back our economy better and fairer. I think now is the time to get rid of the unfair and flawed Universal Credit system, and to invest in a Universal Basic Income (UBI). This gives everyone a guaranteed stake in the economy and a minimum income to build their lives on. People are then free to study, volunteer, or work limited hours unimpeded by an unfair and inefficient benefits system.

Our income tax system must become truly progressive and sensitive to the needs of those on lower incomes. As part of this, the regressive and unfair council tax must be abolished and replaced with a fair and efficient system of local taxation. I would go further and say that the national non-domestic rates, or business rates system, is unfit for purpose and should be completely reformed to grow our economy.

Before the pandemic, the situation for the retail and services sector and the hospitality industry was already dire. Despite the reliefs put in place, the outlook is bleak. Businesses are suffering from unsustainably high rents and also, in some instances, unrealistic business rates.

We in West Dunbartonshire can look forward to considerable regeneration in the coming years. But our governments need to provide us with a New Deal of business rates relief to attract big employers to our regeneration areas, like Queens Quay.

This happened in the 1980s through Clydebank Rebuilt, and must happen again to grow West Dunbartonshire in the 21st century. Moreover, the council now has the opportunity to take full ownership and control of the Clyde Shopping Centre, and I think that would kick-start our local recovery.

So, I look forward to building back better, nationally and locally. In Clydebank, we can look forward in 2021 to the opening of our new Clydebank Health and Care Centre on Queens Quay to complement our new council-owned and council-run care home. The residential and commercial development of Queens Quay will also begin this year.

So, just as the votes that put President Biden into the White House were vital, so will be your votes in the elections this year and next year.