Britton: Mayor Bullock's cuts package inadequate - 30/11/10

Extracts from the speech of Cllr David Britton (Grove Park) on behalf of the Conservative Group at the Lewisham Council Meeting, Town Hall, Catford, 29 November 2010:

“Sir Humphrey Appleby said of financial statements: There is no point in the Cabinet questioning the Treasury. On the rare occasions when the Treasury understands the question, the Cabinet does not understand the answers. I feel a bit like that now!

“The first thing that puzzles me is the collective and apparently selective amnesia amongst some Labour Councillors. I know that Labour Councillors were present in the Chamber when the minority Party Councillors heard the Mayor state in March 2010 that he was going to have to lop 60 million off our budget over the next four years. I thought Gordon Brown and Alasdair Darling then led the Government. I thought that the Coalition Government came into office in May 2010. If that is the case, and I’m sure it is, then I am puzzled as to how the proposed reductions in expenditure that we are discussing could be called Tory cuts.

“The second thing puzzling me is the recent consultation. From my experience of what happened at the Grove Park Assembly, this consisted of the public being asked what service they would like to cut. The answer, of course, is that if the service is valuable, it should not be cut and if it is not, it should not have been offered. I am saddened by the knee-jerk reaction in some quarters at the idea of reducing Council expenditure. I ask those who are making the most noise to take a moment to reflect. In their own spending, if they find they can no longer afford to spend in the same way, then they prioritise their spending, and reduce spending on less important areas. Why don’t they accept that the same principle must apply to this Council?

“The third thing that puzzles me is that I do not see evidence of what I have just described taking place here. As I understand it, each Directorate has been asked to reduce its expenditure by 25%. Surely, what should have happened was that there should have been a radical review of current expenditure? This would have identified what needs to be retained, what needs to be increased, and what shouldbe cut or reduced. The Government has done this. We do not appear to have done so. Instead we have a large number of minor reductions largely involving abolishing posts already empty. Sir Humphrey said, “Asking a Town Hall to slim down its staff is like asking an alcoholic to blow up a distillery.” There seems to be something in that comment!

“I am aware these reductions represent only the first phase of reducing expenditure. I am also aware the Council is negotiating with neighbouring Councils in an attempt to set up a service sharing agreement, which will save money by reducing jobs, while securing services. That is wholly right and follows Government advice. I am pleased that the Library issue has been put back for two months so that we can discuss alternatives, rather than just closures. I have to stress that Conservatives remain opposed to any reduction in the Library service.

“We recognise that this is the start of the process of reducing the budget, and will wait to see what is in part two. But this second piece of work must do what the Mayor and Executive failed to do in the first phase: decide the strategic priorities of the Borough for the next four years and how to finance them. We need to meet the challenges of an aging population by devoting a higher share of resources to community care. To do this, we will need to streamline other services.

“Tonight my party will vote against this motion. This mouse of a package does not address the scale of the problems that nearly 40 years of Labour mismanagement has brought upon the Council. It frankly beggars belief that the wholly unnecessary Lewisham Life magazine is not being scrapped but just the number of issues reduced. There is no more vivid example of the Council’s unwillingness to set proper spending priorities.

“As we are to see a further phase of reductions, the Mayor has a second chance to get this spending review right. I sincerely hope, for the sake of Lewisham, he takes it”.