The Cut Backs.

Who do you blame for your local cut back's?

The Government, for telling the local authorities they are not getting the amount they are used to.

Or

The local authorities for picking on a certain service, in our case, care services.

Your views please.

Re: The Cut Backs.

Gordon Brown and Nu-Labour.

Councils have to take the can for where they place the cuts, the Government are not telling them where to save money just that they do not have as much money.

ALL councils could save money and job cuts only need to be a last resort.
Councils waste money on everything under the sun from stationary to heating from unecessary meetings to expenses.

I have seen it first hand when I was working.

Example, one coucil spent £7000 on upgrading two bus stops and the buses do not run on that route.

Re: The Cut Backs.

It's a fact that many Labour run councils are making redundancies and cuts to front line services out of political spite rather than necessity. They should hang their heads in shame. No-one has let down the working man more than Labour over the last thirteen years, most of them should be barred forever from running any official organisation that has an effect on people's livelihoods.....

Re: The Cut Backs.

I have to disagree - Tory govt made a mess of things long before Labour got in, however, the problem today (in my opinion) with these cuts are some were just not necessary, the sections of the community they hit the most were bang out of order. If we were to cease these billions leaving the country and also concentrated on the tax dodgers and the bankers issues we may have found a much more considerate method of cuts. I totally disagree with what is happening to the poor, the aged and the ill.

Re: The Cut Backs.

Councils of all political colours have become powerbase empires in their own right. They will protect their internal management structure (and it's attendant gravy train), their own contracting and other services which comprise their power base, before they will protect services such as elderly care, pothole repair, street litter problems and so on. It is the nature of the beast.
They are not stupid, they know that they are on a hiding to nothing because they can blame the "CUTS" and therefor Government ministers will carry the can.

The Coalition has been very naive by allowing these councils to make their own decisions on cuts. The government has shot itself in the foot in the way it has handled this. In my view it should have been very specific about which services could be cut.

So I would blame smart council operators putting one over on a stupid government.
On the other hand we presumably voted for these councils so perhaps many of us should be saying mea culpa!

Re: The Cut Backs.

Unless you are very rich beware the Chuckle Brothers agenda is not what it seems.

Forget tradition Tory policies Google on Neoliberalism for the true picture. Part of the neoliberal's ideology encourages the exaggeration of a crisis to force through changes that in normal circumstances would be unthinkable.
We are being experimented on by a gathering of very rich overgrown schoolboys and as is always the case the guinea pigs will be the losers.
Cameron has already stuffed the Lords with over 100 sycophants to further protect his mission.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

Re: The Cut Backs.

Chuckle Brothers agenda - I like it Victor's Mate and yes, I agree, I suppose we should be afraid - very afraid. We are being told there is no alternative, but I believe that there may well be a hidden agenda. I am particularly afraid for our National Health Service and what is being pushed through in the name of "modernisation" pah! pah! pah! - creeping privatisation is more like it.