North-East council boss joins counterparts to urge Government to abandon austerity drive

3:48pm Sunday 30th December 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Gavin Havery, Reporter (Derwentside & Tyneside)

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes after his victory in May, 2011 Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes after his victory in May, 2011

A NORTH-EAST council boss has joined two of his counterparts in writing to the Government to warn of social unrest and a rise in community tensions resulting from "Dickensian" local authority budget cuts.

Leader of Newcastle City Council, Councillor Nick Forbes, has joined town hall bosses from South Yorkshire and Merseyside, to urge the Prime Minster and Chancellor to abandon their austerity drive.

The North-East city authority is already facing criticism for proposing to axe its entire arts £2.5m budget to protect front line services following drastic cuts in funding.

Councillor Forbes has joined Sheffield leader Julia Dore and Liverpool Mayor Joe Armstrong to warn of the devastating socio-economic impact its policies could have.

In a letter, published in a national Sunday newspaper, they wrote: “The One Nation Tory brand of Conservatism recognised the duty of Government to help the country’s most deprived in the belief that economic and social responsibility benefited us all.

"What we have today is a brand of Conservatism that has no social conscience, taking us back to a Dickensian view of the world.

“The unfairness of the Government’s cuts is in danger of creating a deeply divided nation.

“We urge them to stop what they are doing now and listen to our warnings before the forces of social unrest start to smoulder.”

The Government announced in the Autumn Statement that councils must find a further two per cent of savings in 2014/15, on top of the 27 per cent cuts announced in 2010.

There are also signs of a backlash from rural authorities, mostly Conservative-led, who claim that the shires are losing out disproportionately under the Government’s cuts.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that more than 120 rural councils were weighing up a judicial review of the spending settlement for local authorities because it was grossly unfair and would hit services in remote areas.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “Councils must keep doing their bit to tackle the inherited budget deficit because they account for a quarter of all public spending and still get through over 114bn of taxpayers’ money each year.

“Councils can protect frontline services and save the taxpayer billions in cash if they share back office services, tap into their healthy reserves and cut out the non jobs and waste.

“Councils that fail to do these things are letting down their hard working residents.”

Comments(79)

fracker says...
4:18pm Sun 30 Dec 12

but remember,we are all in this together.

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:18pm Sun 30 Dec 12

but remember,we are all in this together.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
1:07pm Mon 31 Dec 12

UK local authorities are sitting on £13 BILLION of reserves.
.
Why?

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:52pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Even tory councils are complaining about the cuts going to far,so much for the idea of voting the tories into power in north -east councils to show how to run things better ha-ha.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:52pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Even tory councils are complaining about the cuts going to far,so much for the idea of voting the tories into power in north -east councils to show how to run things better ha-ha.

Report this post »

Lifetime Townie says...
3:35pm Mon 31 Dec 12

I wish that the Councillors would stop playing at politics and manage the county for the benefit of the public aand not the party. Look at all the stuff that the residents don't want yet are imposed on them by the council. It costs us billions in council tax.
Give us a management team that would look after the residents and not the whims and fancies that we have now. I hope that all of the councillors read this note.

Report this post »

Adam Walker says...
5:01pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Joe Anderson is a Red Fascist. He and the other Liebour scumbags who are now writing to the Government should remember that it was their Government that presided over 13 years of waste and uncontrolled immigration which has made matters worse for the native peoples of this country. Things are going to get a lot worse and all the letters in the world will make not a blind bit of difference. Anderson and his ilk WILL be remembered for their crimes against their own people. Ethnic cleansing, treachery and genocide will be three charges that will be added to the list when they face trial.

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:16pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Townie,The councilors will be spending some time figuring out what you are burbling on about,tory as well as as labour councils are telling the government they are going to far with cuts

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:16pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Townie,The councilors will be spending some time figuring out what you are burbling on about,tory as well as as labour councils are telling the government they are going to far with cuts

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:16pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Townie,The councilors will be spending some time figuring out what you are burbling on about,tory as well as as labour councils are telling the government they are going to far with cuts

Report this post »

the-big-yin says...
12:33pm Tue 1 Jan 13

David Lacey wrote:
UK local authorities are sitting on £13 BILLION of reserves.
.
Why?
BECAUSE THEY ARE A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITICAL BUFFOONS...
Why do they not sell those assets? Doing will make up for any reduction in money from the government....stop all the waste....stop all the free perks and bonuses...stop all the free food and stop all the clothing allowances...stop the workers taking vehicles home with them and stop them going around on a morning picking their workmates up for work....This would cure it all in 0ne swoop.....

Report this post »

fracker says...
1:36pm Thu 3 Jan 13

he point is Big Yin , they have cut out the waste but even the so-called experts in tory controlled councils say there is no more waste to get rid of ,and front line services are in danger.

Report this post »

fracker says...
1:36pm Thu 3 Jan 13

he point is Big Yin , they have cut out the waste but even the so-called experts in tory controlled councils say there is no more waste to get rid of ,and front line services are in danger.

Report this post »

the-big-yin says...
2:40pm Thu 3 Jan 13

fracker wrote:
he point is Big Yin , they have cut out the waste but even the so-called experts in tory controlled councils say there is no more waste to get rid of ,and front line services are in danger.
no need to repeat yourself...l.o.l....
.
but there are still millions being wasted year in year out....

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
2:58pm Thu 3 Jan 13

The 13 billion is in the form of CASH. They could use it instead of cutting front line services. But to do so would puncture their ridiculous claims about lack of money to pay for leisure facilities, old folks care, libraries and road repairs.

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:13pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Big Yin, So now tory councils are lying about their finances,touch of paranoia there don't you think,and David if councils spend the money you say exists,what do they do for funds in the future considering how long the recession is forecast to last?

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:13pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Big Yin, So now tory councils are lying about their finances,touch of paranoia there don't you think,and David if councils spend the money you say exists,what do they do for funds in the future considering how long the recession is forecast to last?

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:13pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Big Yin, So now tory councils are lying about their finances,touch of paranoia there don't you think,and David if councils spend the money you say exists,what do they do for funds in the future considering how long the recession is forecast to last?

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
5:20pm Thu 3 Jan 13

If this isn't an emergency, what is?
.
The reserves are there to cover emergencies.

Report this post »

fracker says...
5:57pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Yes David,but as i said,if the rec ession is to last another six years(maybe more).what will they do if the said amount is used up, and councils then have nothing in reserve to cover unexpected expenditure.

Report this post »

fracker says...
5:57pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Yes David,but as i said,if the rec ession is to last another six years(maybe more).what will they do if the said amount is used up, and councils then have nothing in reserve to cover unexpected expenditure.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
7:27pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Loopy "what if" doesn't matter. The cuts being made are about to be imposed. Reserves could stop them.

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:24pm Thu 3 Jan 13

David,what if does matter because people who have to decide these things are not pretend armchair politicians,and have to consider all possibilities not to be reckless and spend everything all at once.

Report this post »

spragger says...
8:45pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Labour Cllr stuck on saving money. .
Why does he not give up his allowances, to keep the frontline services?

Report this post »

fracker says...
10:22pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Spragger, Both labour and tory councils have stated that they have no more waste they can cut back on. Their is no more they can do without cutting frontline services, so what d o the tory experts on this blog think now?they have been stating for months now to give tories a chance in traditional labour areas,but it seems even tory councils have had enough,so what say you now?

Report this post »

bmwgirl says...
10:57am Fri 4 Jan 13

What a suprise-3 labour bosses complaining about government policy.Try and stop wasting so much of our taxes-start by looking at some of the ridiculous salaries paid to the so called socialist leaders.

Report this post »

fracker says...
12:55pm Fri 4 Jan 13

BMWGIRL, There have been 120 tory led councils making the same complaint about the cuts going to far, so who is to blame the councils or the government?

Report this post »

fracker says...
12:55pm Fri 4 Jan 13

BMWGIRL, There have been 120 tory led councils making the same complaint about the cuts going to far, so who is to blame the councils or the government?

Report this post »

johnny_p says...
1:01pm Fri 4 Jan 13

fracker wrote:
BMWGIRL, There have been 120 tory led councils making the same complaint about the cuts going to far, so who is to blame the councils or the government?
Have there? Who are these "120 Tory Councils", can you name them or provide a link to a reliable source?

Report this post »

johnny_p says...
1:06pm Fri 4 Jan 13

bmwgirl wrote:
What a suprise-3 labour bosses complaining about government policy.Try and stop wasting so much of our taxes-start by looking at some of the ridiculous salaries paid to the so called socialist leaders.
Oh I don't know bmwgirl.... Nick Forbes standing there mouth wide open with his ensemble of rag-tag, red rosette bearing followers behind him. He'll be a true Socialist, sharing his fat salary with the poor and inviting the homeless round for Christmas dinner.

You should surely know by now that The Echo is not in any way affiliated to any political party.....

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
2:05pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Dear Friends (and enemies) - it has just been revealed that DCC pays its Chairman and Vice Chairman A CLOTHING ALLOWANCE!!!
.
Yes - we pay for their socks and undies. The Chairman receives £8,580 and Vice Chairman gets £4,280. Perhaps the former is an M+S customer and the latter can only afford George at ASDA. Remember the Chairman is also bunged £6,650 for being Chairman and a further £13,300 for being a councillor.
.
The clothing payments have been kept secret since 1984. And of course it has been Labour all the way since then.
.
Can any lefty with half a brain cell please advise why libraries are closed whilst we pay for undercrackers and socks?

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:18pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David, Nice try at a distraction,how about a comment on the fact that 120 tory councils agree with labour that the cuts are going to far.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:18pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David, Nice try at a distraction,how about a comment on the fact that 120 tory councils agree with labour that the cuts are going to far.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:23pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny p, It was on all the tv news channels and in every paper,take your pick!!! ,but of course you would have been to busy working to notice i forgot,you can't dismiss facts just because you havn't seen the evidence for yourself.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:23pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny p, It was on all the tv news channels and in every paper,take your pick!!! ,but of course you would have been to busy working to notice i forgot,you can't dismiss facts just because you havn't seen the evidence for yourself.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
5:05pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Johnny isn't it incredible how the expenditure I exposed is dismissed as water off a duck's back?
.
And he STILL can't spell 3 letter words.

Report this post »

Duke of Aycliffe says...
5:54pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I have no sympathy for our local councils, council tax is far too high & what do I get? My bin emptied.In our local free paper lots of town councillors seem to enjoy writing pointless letters about things which are of no interest to most of the electorate. Or they engage in slagging each other off about attendance etc. instead of sitting down & trying to work out a viable economic future vision for Newton Aycliffe.

Report this post »

fracker says...
6:41pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David,you ignored what i was saying because you don't have an answer for me,what you talked about was a deliberate distraction,i may not be a champion speller but i know what i am talking about old chum.

Report this post »

fracker says...
6:41pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David,you ignored what i was saying because you don't have an answer for me,what you talked about was a deliberate distraction,i may not be a champion speller but i know what i am talking about old chum.

Report this post »

fracker says...
6:46pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Duke, I think you will find if things get worse,which they will you will notice just what you pay for in your council tax.If you are having trouble paying your tax,you could always ask for help!!!

Report this post »

fracker says...
6:57pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David ,prehaps he chair and vice chair will give up the clothing allowance,when mps give up their expences,none story i'm afraid sorry David old bean.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
7:27pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I give up Loopy. You are a lost cause. Like the Labour party.

Report this post »

fracker says...
7:31pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David,Sorry you havn't got an answer to the fact that even tory councils think the cut backs are too much,,never mind goodbye at least you know when you are beaten ta ta .

Report this post »

fracker says...
7:31pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David,Sorry you havn't got an answer to the fact that even tory councils think the cut backs are too much,,never mind goodbye at least you know when you are beaten ta ta .

Report this post »

johnny_p says...
7:47pm Fri 4 Jan 13

fracker wrote:
Jonny p, It was on all the tv news channels and in every paper,take your pick!!! ,but of course you would have been to busy working to notice i forgot,you can't dismiss facts just because you havn't seen the evidence for yourself.
Oh c'mon Fracker- stop teasing me. I can't find a link to it anywhere on the internet. Can you give me a clue where I can find the "120 Tory councils who are against the cuts"?

I can provide evidence to the Labour 25 (now 38) MP's and Councillors who have been prosecuted for sex offences. But guess you don't want to know about that..... everything Labour is good of course....

http://labour25.com

Report this post »

johnny_p says...
7:49pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David Lacey wrote:
I give up Loopy. You are a lost cause. Like the Labour party.
David- LoonyLeft now Fracker? Tell me- what clues did you pick up on?

Report this post »

johnny_p says...
7:55pm Fri 4 Jan 13

David Lacey wrote:
Dear Friends (and enemies) - it has just been revealed that DCC pays its Chairman and Vice Chairman A CLOTHING ALLOWANCE!!!
.
Yes - we pay for their socks and undies. The Chairman receives £8,580 and Vice Chairman gets £4,280. Perhaps the former is an M+S customer and the latter can only afford George at ASDA. Remember the Chairman is also bunged £6,650 for being Chairman and a further £13,300 for being a councillor.
.
The clothing payments have been kept secret since 1984. And of course it has been Labour all the way since then.
.
Can any lefty with half a brain cell please advise why libraries are closed whilst we pay for undercrackers and socks?
I honestly don't think I could spend that much on clothes every year.

It would fill a reasonably sized room with a TKMaxxx haul, or even be a good wardrobe full of Armani. Just how much do baggy corduroys, geography teacher jackets and red ties cost these days?

Standby though- Loony will be along in a minute to defend it....

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:26pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny,you and David actually think what you say has some importance ,i don't care if you can't find evidence for what i said ,if you don't believe me so what ,does anybody care i don't. o and your still going on about that clothing allowance, can't you think of another distraction from the fact that even tory councils have had enough of the cuts-tush tush very disapointing.

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:26pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny,you and David actually think what you say has some importance ,i don't care if you can't find evidence for what i said ,if you don't believe me so what ,does anybody care i don't. o and your still going on about that clothing allowance, can't you think of another distraction from the fact that even tory councils have had enough of the cuts-tush tush very disapointing.

Report this post »

jdgibson says...
8:49pm Fri 4 Jan 13

The most interesting thing about this thread is the appalling sexist assumption made by both Mr Lacey and johhny_p that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of DCC are men.

For the current year they are both women.

The positions are ceremonial and civic heads of the council and as such will involve both women attending many social occasions on which, being women, they will be expected to wear a new outfit on each occasion.

At one social event a week that is £165 for the chairman for each outfit and £82 for the vice chairman.

On googling this the only reference I can find to it other than this thread is a post to this forum by Lib Dem Councilior Mark Wilkes.

DCC is required by law to publish all allowances paid to councillors and as has been stated this is not published. The reason for this of course could be the 2 councillors do not keep the clothes. I suspect Mark Wilkes knows if they do or do not keep the clothes and he must have known they are both women and the nature of the role but for some reason decided not to mention it.

By the way johhny, being a socialist is a belief in a set of values on how to run society, it is not membership of a religious order with vows of poverty and charity. Nor are all socialists men in geography teacher jackets, whatever they might be. Your prejudiced views of those on the left of politics and public sector workers expressed on this forum get ever more ridiculous by the day.

Then again you have to wonder why you think there are very many socialists in the current Labour Party. On economic, large parts of foreign and defence and criminal justice policy Labour has been Thatcherite since shortly after Blair took over.

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:54pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny,please check-www.bbc.co.uk/
news/uk20869348

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:56pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny,please check-www.bbc.co.uk/
news/uk20869348

Report this post »

fracker says...
8:56pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Jonny,please check-www.bbc.co.uk/
news/uk20869348

Report this post »

Dean M says...
9:46pm Fri 4 Jan 13

fracker - why is every post you make repeated at least once? Your nonsense makes no more sense regardless of how many times it is repeated.

jdgibson - I cannot see any statement or assumption made by David or Johnny that the chairman and vice-chairman are men. Unless you think that only men wear socks? If you do, then I'd suggest that is an 'appalling sexist assumption'.

Report this post »

jdgibson says...
10:26pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Dean M wrote:
fracker - why is every post you make repeated at least once? Your nonsense makes no more sense regardless of how many times it is repeated.

jdgibson - I cannot see any statement or assumption made by David or Johnny that the chairman and vice-chairman are men. Unless you think that only men wear socks? If you do, then I'd suggest that is an 'appalling sexist assumption'.
Dean

I am sitting in my living room next to a woman wearing socks so that would be an odd assumption to make.

However I will take you at your word that you genuinely believe the clothing described by johnny and Mr Lacey was intended to be read as clothing that might be worn by men or women.

I will also apologies to any women currently reading this wearing her undercrackers, socks, baggy corduroys, geography teacher jacket and red tie.

Report this post »

Dean M says...
11:07pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I would hope you will also apologise to them.

Report this post »

snudge says...
4:56am Sat 5 Jan 13

Another money grabbing labour twerp

Report this post »

fracker says...
10:32am Sat 5 Jan 13

A h Dean m ,the "man" who insulted my dead father,brave of you to comment again.Which nonsense are you talking about,what i said about tory councils complaining about the cuts is a fact,the nonsense is coming from a government that punishes the poor for the reckless behaviour of the banking industry. Now if you would be so good as to print an apology for insulting my father,i may forgive you sunshine.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
11:21am Sat 5 Jan 13

Mr Gibson - I specifically mentioned that the clothing allowance had been hidden since 1984. Since then the overwhelming number of Chairs and Vice Chairs have been male. It was YOU who made the link between this year's incumbents and the types of clothing I referred to. You also made the entirely incorrect assumption that the clothing is returned.
.
Perhaps YOU will now apologise for the rank bad behaviour you have exhibited here? No - I thought not!

Report this post »

jdgibson says...
2:05pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Firstly I haven't made the assumption the clothing is being returned, I have suggested it as a possibility.

Secondly, I assumed the figures you provided are for the current year. Are you suggesting the figures you provided have reminded unchanged since 1984.

Thirdly there is no reason to assume a clothing allowance is the same for both men and women.

You recently posted a link to a website showing photographs of you in evening wear at a function. I have attended similar functions for which I can use the same evening wear every time for a considerable number of years unless my weight changes. My wife on the other hand requires a new evening dress every time.

As I mentioned it is a legal requirement for councils to publish details of allowances paid to councillors so the allegations you are making against these councillors and DCC are of a serious nature yet very little evidence has been provided to back them up.

I could find no mention of it on the DCC website, in the published allowances or in the DCC members handbook chapter on councillors allowances. I can find no reference anywhere to an allowance for the Vice Chairman and the only reference I can find for the Chairman other than on this forum is a page on DCC LIb Dem councillor Mark Wilkes website of a 2 year allowance for the chairman of £12,860.

The suggestion being made is that the Chairman and Vice chairman are gaining financial benefit by being given an allowance to buy clothes, sock and underwear being the examples you used, that could be worn every day.

I suspect the reality is they are given an allowance to buy the somewhat specialist and expensive formal wear they would be required to have to perform the ceremonial and ambassadorial part of the role and being women this allowance is likely to have been higher this year than the years when the positions were filled by men.

The term allowance can also be used in two ways. It can be paid as cash to the individual or it can refer to a maximum amount that can be spent in a period of time and for which you would need to provide receipts. Again as there is nothing published it is impossible to know which it is but as DCC is legally required to publish allowances of the type paid in cash it would seem very odd if it is paid in cash.

They may or may not keep the clothes but it doesn't really matter, you aren't going to go shopping in Tescos in evening wear and a wardrobe full of clothes you will hardly ever wear again isn't of much benefit to anyone.

Perhaps you should make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman if you believe the conduct of DCC in this matter is improper.

They are legally required to publish allowances paid to councillors and as you have stated this has been hidden since 1984.

The only thing I can't understand is if DCCs conduct is improper and as Councillor Mark Wilkes is aware of the clothing allowance as he has published it on his website, why a complaint to the Ombudsman has not already been made.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
2:23pm Sat 5 Jan 13

It is obvious that you think these allowances are in order. I don't.
.
I would prefer to see libraries kept open.
.
I know whose opinion would hold sway in terms of public opinion.
.
Mark Wilkes and other Councillors who aren't under the Labour cosh are taking the matter further.

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:32pm Sat 5 Jan 13

David,how about the millions the government are spending on consultants,who at the same time are contributing to the tory party to restructure the nhs.Eventually,accor
ding to todays papers the cost will run into billions,at the same time staff are being sacked and treatment cancelled.

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:34pm Sat 5 Jan 13

David,how about the millions the government are spending on consultants,who at the same time are contributing to the tory party to restructure the nhs.Eventually,accor
ding to todays papers the cost will run into billions,at the same time staff are being sacked and treatment cancelled.

Report this post »

fracker says...
4:34pm Sat 5 Jan 13

David,how about the millions the government are spending on consultants,who at the same time are contributing to the tory party to restructure the nhs.Eventually,accor
ding to todays papers the cost will run into billions,at the same time staff are being sacked and treatment cancelled.

Report this post »

jdgibson says...
5:01pm Sat 5 Jan 13

I do not not know if these allowances are in order as there is no real evidence either way. I will withhold judgement until the evidence is available, you have made your judgement from a position of ignorance, I think prejudice is the correct term.

When it comes to public opinion you are probably correct that many people would agree with you. However the public is not always right and truth and justice are important principles that must be upheld even when public opinion might be otherwise.

As for libraries this highlights the inconsistency in your position. You continually argue for public sector reform yet in this case you want to maintain things as they are.

Books are expensive, libraries are valuable properties that are expensive to maintain.

Libraries could and should be replaced by giving everyone one who needs it an ebook reader and broadband and setting up systems to down load time limited ebooks. You could borrow any ebook from anywhere you have an internet connection any time day or night and local authorities could pool their resources to share systems and staff. The staffing costs for a system that provides a service for one local authority are not that different that one that provides a service for ten or even one hundred local authorities.

The improvement for the library user is enormous. The cost savings for the tax payer are huge.

The reality is the attacks from the right on public services are ideologically driven and there is no real interest in either reform, improvement of the service or savings for the tax payer. It is more to do with party political advantage and switching where possible to private sector provision.

One of the single biggest improvements from a service to the public perspective in the NHS would be the introduction of electronic prescriptions. However the recent bill to reform the NHS from the government had, as far as I am aware, no provision for this as its main purpose was to provide an opportunity to make money for the Tory Party's friends in the health care business.

Reform of the public sector is necessary and there are savings to be made. However in the private sector similar savings have been made mostly by a massive investment in and increased use of IT systems. Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister criticised the previous government for spending to much on IT in the NHS.

I imagine you will point out the many failures of government IT projects but smaller scale projects from various private sector providers rather than national systems from one provider would solve most of these problems.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
7:03pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Waffle - utter tripe. I give up.

Report this post »

fracker says...
7:04pm Sat 5 Jan 13

J D,The only reason David is talking about these allowances,are to distract from the fact that tory as well as labour councils have had enough of the governments demands to make more savings. Thus proving that critics can't get awaywith any more that it is ineptitude that s causing labour run councils to have to curtail services they used to provide.

Report this post »

Lifetime Townie says...
7:32pm Sat 5 Jan 13

jdgibson wrote:
Firstly I haven't made the assumption the clothing is being returned, I have suggested it as a possibility. Secondly, I assumed the figures you provided are for the current year. Are you suggesting the figures you provided have reminded unchanged since 1984. Thirdly there is no reason to assume a clothing allowance is the same for both men and women. You recently posted a link to a website showing photographs of you in evening wear at a function. I have attended similar functions for which I can use the same evening wear every time for a considerable number of years unless my weight changes. My wife on the other hand requires a new evening dress every time. As I mentioned it is a legal requirement for councils to publish details of allowances paid to councillors so the allegations you are making against these councillors and DCC are of a serious nature yet very little evidence has been provided to back them up. I could find no mention of it on the DCC website, in the published allowances or in the DCC members handbook chapter on councillors allowances. I can find no reference anywhere to an allowance for the Vice Chairman and the only reference I can find for the Chairman other than on this forum is a page on DCC LIb Dem councillor Mark Wilkes website of a 2 year allowance for the chairman of £12,860. The suggestion being made is that the Chairman and Vice chairman are gaining financial benefit by being given an allowance to buy clothes, sock and underwear being the examples you used, that could be worn every day. I suspect the reality is they are given an allowance to buy the somewhat specialist and expensive formal wear they would be required to have to perform the ceremonial and ambassadorial part of the role and being women this allowance is likely to have been higher this year than the years when the positions were filled by men. The term allowance can also be used in two ways. It can be paid as cash to the individual or it can refer to a maximum amount that can be spent in a period of time and for which you would need to provide receipts. Again as there is nothing published it is impossible to know which it is but as DCC is legally required to publish allowances of the type paid in cash it would seem very odd if it is paid in cash. They may or may not keep the clothes but it doesn't really matter, you aren't going to go shopping in Tescos in evening wear and a wardrobe full of clothes you will hardly ever wear again isn't of much benefit to anyone. Perhaps you should make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman if you believe the conduct of DCC in this matter is improper. They are legally required to publish allowances paid to councillors and as you have stated this has been hidden since 1984. The only thing I can't understand is if DCCs conduct is improper and as Councillor Mark Wilkes is aware of the clothing allowance as he has published it on his website, why a complaint to the Ombudsman has not already been made.
jdgibson says...
""They may or may not keep the clothes but it doesn't really matter, you aren't going to go shopping in Tescos in evening wear and a wardrobe full of clothes you will hardly ever wear again isn't of much benefit to anyone.

Perhaps you should make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman if you believe the conduct of DCC in this matter is improper.

They are legally required to publish allowances paid to councillors and as you have stated this has been hidden since 1984.

The only thing I can't understand is if DCCs conduct is improper and as Councillor Mark Wilkes is aware of the clothing allowance as he has published it on his website, why a complaint to the Ombudsman has not already been made.""

The Local Government Ombudsman have many personnel who are ex Local Gov. so any decision from a complaint could be biased towards the council

Report this post »

spragger says...
12:23am Sun 6 Jan 13

fracker wrote:
Spragger, Both labour and tory councils have stated that they have no more waste they can cut back on. Their is no more they can do without cutting frontline services, so what d o the tory experts on this blog think now?they have been stating for months now to give tories a chance in traditional labour areas,but it seems even tory councils have had enough,so what say you now?
Do give up they have not even started . .
- Sack the Chief Exec £200k pa saved year on year.
- Cut all salaries by 15%.
- Every Council employee onto a Money Purchase pension.
- No more temporary workers.
- No more discretionary OVERTIME
- Cut up ALL purchasing cards.
- Reduce all Cllrs allowances

This is the contrick of our time, at the taxpayers expense

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
9:48am Sun 6 Jan 13

Sensible suggestions Spragger. But even that list would only scratch the surface. A 25% cut in numbers would go unnoticed by residents.

Report this post »

fracker says...
11:36am Sun 6 Jan 13

David and Spragger don't you ever listen,both tory and labour councils have stated that they have cut out waste and they have reached their limit that is what we have been discussing .Earlier this year David you stated none of your friends and your self had any problems and life was good,now you are panicking and wanting councils to spend every thing they've got to keep things going, so which is it you can't have it both ways.

Report this post »

fracker says...
11:36am Sun 6 Jan 13

David and Spragger don't you ever listen,both tory and labour councils have stated that they have cut out waste and they have reached their limit that is what we have been discussing .Earlier this year David you stated none of your friends and your self had any problems and life was good,now you are panicking and wanting councils to spend every thing they've got to keep things going, so which is it you can't have it both ways.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
12:57pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Loopy
.
1) I don't believe that councils, Tory or Labour have even started to scratch the surface. They could chop staff expenditure by 25% and we wouldn't notice the difference.
.
2) I'm NOT panicking. All I'm saying is that they should dip into their vast reserves of wealth to keep services going rather than close them down. Frankly it won't worry me personally if ALL the libraries, swimming pools, leisure centres and old folks homes close because I have provided for myself. But there are many, many more people who will be seriously impacted by the councils' determination to punish the electorate for voting Labour. I am speaking on their behalf.
.
Get it? Probably not - too hard for you.

Report this post »

fracker says...
1:54pm Sun 6 Jan 13

David I think you have got it the wrong way round havn't you,it is he government who is cutting the funding.I think it is to hard for you to figure out isn't it, do you think you know better than all those councils who are petitioning the government because their citizens have had enough.There is only so much re-organisation and waste cutting to be done and they have reached their limit .You say you don't believe the councils,that's o.k., so why should anyone believe what you say,people explain things to you and you just ignore everything you don't want to hear a sure sign of ignorance.

Report this post »

IanfromCrook says...
2:34pm Sun 6 Jan 13

political right wing fog. net debt around 70 % of GDP now ... around the same as Germany. In the fifties it was more than double that yet the NHS was set up and welfare reforms abundant. Politicians not believable.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:34pm Sun 6 Jan 13

David, You said, the labour councils are punishing the electorate for putting them in power,how does that work with the tory councils that have said enough is enough,are labour authorities controlling their spending aswell?. All those councils are complaining,but of course they are telling lies,and David Lacey knows better as usual.

Report this post »

fracker says...
2:34pm Sun 6 Jan 13

David, You said, the labour councils are punishing the electorate for putting them in power,how does that work with the tory councils that have said enough is enough,are labour authorities controlling their spending aswell?. All those councils are complaining,but of course they are telling lies,and David Lacey knows better as usual.

Report this post »

David Lacey says...
3:32pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Yes - the Tories are as bad as Labour. Self serving pigs with noses in the trough. All of them.

Report this post »

Lifetime Townie says...
6:31pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Fracker
I think you may have technical problems when double and triple identical posts have been appearing on this thead and on other threads aswell. Sometimes the web site appears to be running slowly and may give the impression that your post has not been received but give it a few more seconds and your post may get through. If you send again during the waiting time then perhaps this may be the cause of multiple posts. Hope that this helps.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree