MERRY XMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

To all my readers and ward residents - my very best wishes for an enjoyable Christmas and hopes for a peaceful new year.

A SHORT EVENING

The latest Full Council prompts me to my blog for what seems now to be a monthly post. I must try harder ! Just so much on....

Anyway as I said Full Council last night. As I had decided to give myself my first break for 18 months from submitting a Motion the agenda was very brief. An uncontentious change to financial standing orders and then questions of Cabinet members. These were taken full advantage of primarily by the usual suspects - myself, Barry, Howe, Welsford....

From my questions we learnt that the Council leadership strongly opposes domestic violence whilst not being prepared to properly support the IW Womens Refuge - hypocrites ! I also secured commitments for maximum HR support for Council staff who end up being made redundant in the next few months. And councillors may get the opportunity to ask NHS Trust people why the IW volunteered to be a pilot for issuing contraceptives for 13 year olds.

We then finished at 7.25pm and we all headed home - no free Xmas drink/buffet with the Chairman this year for the rest of them. Recognition of hard times........

AS THE AXE FALLS, CALM BEFORE THE STORM ?

Another 4 weeks passes by and we were back at Full Council on Wednesday evening. An evening that will probably go down in history as the end of the day when the Tory/Liberal coalition government agreed to wreck our economy and destroy the decent society we have aspired to since 1940.

So in that context our Council meeting was pretty small beer as everyone gets their heads around what government has proposed for local government over the next 4 years.

We started off with a minutes silence on the death that day of Canon Jim Buckett - a wonderful man even if we did not share a belief . Next was my motion on the Council's 'One Island' magazine, where I wanted to reduce its publication to twice per year rather than 10. The Tories really threw the kitchen sink at me to defeat this motion, demonstrating as ever how much they seem to fear me.......At the end my motion was defeated with 8 votes in favour (me, the 3 LibDems present and 4 Independents) and all the Tories and 2 Independents against.

Independent Wayne Whittle was then elected as the third Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee of this Council in just 16 months after Jonathan Bacon's resignation. Good luck to him, but I'm afraid luck won't help him get this Council to allow proper scrutiny.

Next was a leadership proposal to move meeting times for Scrutiny Committee/Panels to 5pm rather than 6pm. On this I was entirely isolated with everyone in favour of effectively making it difficult for most people to observe these meetings and me against. C'est la difference.

We then all agreed a new Corporate Parenting Policy for looked after children. Everyone was on their best behaviour and no one mentioned the elephant in the room....our record as a Council as corporate parents hasn't been good enough to date.

And that was about it. Questions to Cabinet members took up the last hour or so, but it all felt a bit flat. The calm before the storm as people begin to realise what the public service cuts really mean to them ???????

A DAWNING REALISATION LEADS TO UNITED OPPOSITION

Apologies to all of you who keep an eye on this blog, but as you can probably guess I took a break from blogging over the summer. However, I have decided to take up the reins again as I know a lot of you like things like the following..........a Full Council report:

Last night was Full Council and it was a meeting that saw the firming up of the opposition to all that this Tory Council is willingly doing at the behest of the Coalition Government. We have had leading local LibDems (Barry, Wareham, Smart) expressing the view in recent weeks that this is not their coalition and that they are not happy with what the national LibDem leadership are doing in the coalition. And that unhappiness is leading to a more united opposition at County Hall. Last night on just about every major vote myself, the independent group and the four LibDems voted together against Tory cuts. Long may it continue........

After a consensus on a Leadership motion regarding 'place-based budgets' for local communities - basically all public money for local government, NHS, Police, etc in one pot - it was time for a motion from me seeking to defer the latest round of proposed Council cuts to services for one month, whilst real and strenuous efforts were made to lobby government for more favourable treatment for the IW. Despite my pleas about the special nature of the Island's economy and population, my motion was lost as usual with the 22 Tories present all against and all 13 opposition members in favour. Groundhog day...........

We then moved onto a debate about the latest round of proposed Council cuts to services. The Leader accused my of lying when I blamed the national deficit largely on the incompetence of the banks rather than any profligacy of the last government, to which I asked the Chairman to ensure that debate will not be degenerating to the level of personal insult when there are clear and well-founded disagreements over how we got a deficit and how it should be dealt with. Personally I do not consider that the deficit needs to be cleared in just 4 years, and neither do many other economic experts. Others disagree. That's polemic - not truth and lies.

Each aspect of the proposed cuts was then voted on individually with the votes on further rationing and charging for services to vulnerable people, accepting the closure of Westminster House (subject to consultation), and transfer of fire control services to a mainland authority, all being voted through with all the Tories present in favour, and the opposition all against (bar fire control where there were 4 abstentions).

We then went into the questions to Cabinet members section, the 'holding to account' part of the agenda, but this was curtailed at 9pm when all Tories voted to end the meeting then, and all opposition councillors voted to extend the meeting to conclude the business. No surprise there then.

So the political dividing lines are being quite clearly marked now as local Tories gleefully pursue a coalition cuts agenda, but local LibDems show recognition of how damaging those cuts will be.

Just a pity that they urged people to vote for their candidate at the General Election to keep the Tories out.......

TWO FACES OF LOCAL LIB DEMS

Full Council last night was disrupted by a gentleman who seems to be making it his mission to challenge the legality of Council meetings; he was at Cabinet last week doing the same. I don't think he is correct in his argument, but it certainly makes for a rough ride at meetings. Especially when combined with justifiably annoyed young people, campaigning against proposed Tory cuts to their Student Rider. The combination proved to be combustible as the public gallery was cleared for 15 minutes and the police had to have a stern word with said gentleman......

By the time I got onto my anti-VAT increase motion I felt quite low key. Of course I argued my case that it unfairly penalises pensioners and the low paid far more than the better-off, then received support from numerous independents, and then listened to Cabinet members - though not backbench Tories - blame everything since the 'fall of man' on the last Labour government ! As expected my motion was lost by 23 votes (all 21 Tories present and 2 independents) to 7 (myself and 6 independents), with 5 abstentions - one independent and all four LibDems. No surprise there then as their 'Tory VAT bombshell' from prior to the general election becomes settled LibDem policy. Vote Liberal, get the Tories..........don't forget Islanders........

We then moved onto the Tory proposals for starting to cut back the budget for this year and the next 4 years. The Student Rider abolition is one facet of these savage and draconian cuts, but they are also targeting vulnerable people, young people in need, bus users, and various other groups. All part of the new ConDem governments determination to unnecessarily reduce the national budget deficit in just 5 years, putting our entire economy at risk.

As usual it seems these days, all of this is my fault as the Council leadership try to decide who is the bigger bogey man on the island - me or Southern Vectis.

After the debate a named vote approved the Cabinet cuts proposals, including abolition of the Student Rider, by 20 votes to 11:- all 20 Tories still present in favour, all opposition councillors still present against - including this time the 2 LibDems still in the room. Strange - but welcome......

Meeting then concluded at 10pm after 4 roller-coaster hours.

CROCODILES OF THE COALITION........

At Cabinet on Tuesday night I watched the local Tories thoroughly enjoying themselves as they prepare to deliver savage cuts to local jobs and local public services on behalf of the unelected Coalition Government.

Lots of deep regret and sighing at what they will have to do over the next 4 years, but frankly it felt to me like they were enjoying themselves. Tories - and some in the Lib Dems, like Clegg - have always wanted an excuse to reduce the public sector, and this government is more intent on that policy than even the dreaded Thatcher and her ilk. So much for voting Liberal to keep the Tories out..........what we have got is Conservatism with knobs on ! There is no doubt that there has to be some level of cuts to start to address the national budget deficit (as the last government detailed), but I get the feeling that much of what will happen under this unelected government is almost gratuitous in its savagery.

At the meeting the Lib Dem group leader was invited by one Tory Cabinet member to sign his group up to the Tory Council cuts agenda, but sadly the said gentleman failed to seize the opportunity to distance himself and his local party from the Coalition Government. Hm......

So now we have a Cabinet paper going to Full Council next week that will commence the the four-year nightmare. Of course I will oppose it and would expect some of the independents to do the same. And hopefully the 4 Lib Dems ?

AWAITING THE AXE..............

At the IW Council Cabinet next week will begin the local process of planning for the savage and draconian cuts to public services demanded by the new Conservative-Liberal coalition government. A government elected by no one and without a popular mandate for the sorts of cuts to our services we will see over the next 5 years.

That is my view in response to the published Budget Review paper going to the Council Cabinet on Tuesday next week:

http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/cabinet/13-7-10/Paper%20C.pdf

I accept that of course the national deficit needs to be reduced and the last Labour government had a strategy to reduce the deficit significantly over the next 5 years. However, the Con-Dem coalition government is determined to clear the deficit entirely - run up by shoring up the failing banking sector - within just 5 years, with cuts in public services of at least 25% if not more. Cuts at a level that were not mentioned in either of their election manifestos.

25% cuts would translate for the IW Council (according to their review) to at least £5.5million of cuts, probably more, in each of the next 4 budget years. Inevitably hurting vulnerable people the most, as we have already seen this year, and slashing Council jobs at a time when we need people in employment to kickstart the local economy.

The Review paper going to next week's Cabinet further identifies:

1. Further budget pressures THIS year - before the government axe fully falls - of £6.5million, especially in Adult Care services and Children's Services, and in the failure to identify £3m of savings budgeted for this year prior to the General Election.

2. £2.19m of early cutbacks by the new government on specific grants this year - including £470k for road safety schemes.

3. The increase in VAT to 20% as having 'limited impact on local authorities' - who unlike low-paid local people can claim it back.

As the only political councillor at County Hall currently openly opposing this coalition government I am appalled to imagine what is likely to happen locally over the next 5 years of cutting public services. I believe many Islanders will feel the same and I am hopeful that many will come together in the weeks and months ahead to campaign locally and nationally against these cuts.

LIB DEM BETRAYALS, continued...........

George Osborne today said his top priority is cutting the deficit. But in order to get the deficit down, you need to keep economic growth up and you need to keep unemployment down. You don’t get borrowing down by pulling the plug on support for business, throwing people out of work and stifling economic growth.

The Chancellor delivered a budget that will throw people out of work, hold back economic growth and damage the public services we all rely on – and increased VAT from 17.5% to 20%, so that higher prices will be paid in the shops by everyone, from pensioners to the unemployed

The Tories’ cuts are unfair to families and older people: cuts to the disability living allowance, cuts to help for the jobless, cuts to tax credits, cutting back free school meals, and cuts to Child Benefit, which they have frozen for the next three years.

What the country needed was a Budget to support economic growth, protect jobs and cut the deficit fairly. Instead the Tories gave us a reckless Budget that pulls the rug out from under the recovery.

And they couldn’t have done it without the support of the Lib Dems, who have let down everyone who voted for them in the election just a few weeks ago.

COALITION GOVERNMENT ! WHAT COALITION ?

Full Council last Wednesday. Many absences - 10 - 25% of the Council. Kicked off with loads of questions about Northwood House, which the Council appear to have decided to withdraw from entirely.

My Motion seeking for a 3rd time to get the Council to reduce its carbon emissions by 10%, thus saving up to £410k, to then be used on services for vulnerable people, was then discussed. I tried to tell the Tories that contrary to their recent local Members Newsletter there isn't a Tory government and that the national Tory leadership have signed up to some decent things in the Con-Dem Coalition - like a 10% reduction in carbon emissions. But they don't like to listen to me !!! Because they really don't want to know.......

Instead they claim they are making ‘planned and sensible’ carbon reductions (Cllr Giles, Tory), presumably unlike the coalition Con-Dem government in which his party has signed up to 10%. And they ‘can’t save any more’ on emissions (again Cllr Giles). Welcome to my world, where Cameron & Clegg’s cosiness is ignored at local level.

So, once again I was defeated by 18 (all Tory) votes to 8 (me, the 3 LibDems present, and 4 independents), with 3 abstentions (including 2 brave Tories - Webster and Wyatt-Millington).

One thing is increasingly clear - local LibDems are not comfortable with the coalition there leadership has signed up to, just as local Tories are just going to ignore it's more 'progressive' elements...........

After that we had the Standards Committee Annual Report, which only I did not support, as I have little faith in the local process. And then agreement of a new scheme to deal with Petitions - a legacy of the last government.

Finally I asked a question of the Council Leader about whether he could guarantee that Years 6, 7 & 8 in Middle Schools from September will get the full breadth of the curriculum delivered to them. He gave that guarantee...........

DO THEY REALLY THINK WE ARE THAT DAFT ?

A wonderful letter in The Guardian today,

"Let me just make sure I've got this right. First of all, a bunch of bankers lose unimaginable amounts of our money by making bets on a bunch of dodgy mortgages. Eventually the banks realise the bets are based on worthless assets, and that technically they are bankrupt.

The government bails them out with billions of pounds, transferring the debt to the public sector. The bankers, full of gratitude, pay themselves multimillion-pound bonuses which they invest in such a way as to pay as little tax as possible.

We express our anger by voting out the government and replacing it with a new one, which promptly blames the debt on the profligate spending of its predecessor, and tells us that the only solution is to cut public services. Civil servants lose their jobs, unemployment rises, libraries are closed, support services for the very poor, the dispossessed and the desperate disappear. Those who caused this mess in the first place get away with it, and are probably already planning the next disaster.

Are we really that gullible?

Matt Nicholson, Bristol"

Says it all really.

AT LAST, ELECTIONS OVER !

Another week passes before I get around to posting again. All these elections get in the way. Hopefully we will now have a break for at least a couple of months.....

I was very disappointed that we couldn't manage to squeeze the LibDems enough in the Ryde South by-election to get Deborah Gardiner back on the IW Council. Still it was a good performance and we saw the LD drop from first to 3rd as the Tories secured another group member. Onwards on my own for a little longer......

Yesterday's and today's national media are increasingly sickening as they all bemoan the loss of the LibDem expenses fiddler who had to resign from the Cabinet after just 18 days. The holier than thou attitude of Clegg prior to the election (where his party came third) is now clearly to be seen as total hypocrisy. When the expenses scandal first arose the Liberals weren't really looked at that closely. Now they will be and I anticipate further revelations.

Finally elections to Newport Parish Council saw my partner Mary re-elected to join me and two other Labour supporters as a continuing influential bloc in all Newport matters. I won't be Chair from 14 June due to standing orders restrictions to a two-year term, but I am sure we will have a responsible successor. Not one who would fritter money on palatial parish offices......

WAKE UP LIB DEMS

Nearly a month since my last post and so much has happened on the political scene that I almost don't know where to start.......

My summary would be: the best candidate by far to be our Island MP came third (badly effected by the national scene) and once again tactical voting to keep a Tory out here FAILED, as it always will in these post-Steve Ross days. We then saw the venal instincts of national LibDems crawling their way into a Tory coalition, to leave many decent local Liberals (there are a good many) highly embarrassed and probably seething with anger. Early indications were that the new national ConDem coalition wouldn't last, but their anti-democratic instincts suggest that they will implement a device to prevent the coalition falling before its 5 years are up. In the meantime Labour nationally will adapt to opposition, evaluate where it is politically and elect a new leader. Personally I hope John McDonnell MP will be a candidate, to ensure a wide-ranging discussion of where the Labour Party needs to be over the next 5 years.

Of course from my position this Libservative alliance is going to prove highly entertaining as I seize the vast opportunities for mockery. The evidence of last night's Annual Council suggests that the local Liberals haven't quite got it yet - that their party is now in government with the Tories and Labour are the ONLY political opposition.

Annual Council last night was the usual parade of the self-appointed great and good, with my close colleague Ian Stephens being elected as the new Council Chairman. Good for him. The only disturbance of a brief 45 minute meeting was my longstanding refusal to support Tories as Scrutiny Panel chairs - majority-group lead scrutiny is just cheerleading - and the 2 Liberals present supported me, with the Independents supporting the Tories. Maybe the LibDems will soon see sense and come over to Labour rather than stick with a badly tainted brand.

I then cleared off home and left the rest to the annual beanfeast on the taxpayer....................

WATCHING PAINT DRY

Three days later and I can just about bother to write a very brief personal viewpoint of this month's Full Council.

Sadly, what appears to be a deliberate strategy of emasculating Council meetings over the last two years, came to its natural conclusion with a meeting that was so sterile and tedious it was entirely pointless.

Thanks to a ridiculously narrow interpretation of guidelines for Council's during election periods we were unable to discuss anything potentially controversial.

Of course the Council Leader tried to interpret the rules to his advantage, but I had to slap that down rapidly. One rule for all, not just for me !

An old observer of Council meetings said to me afterwards how changed it was from the days pre-2005, when Council meetings prior to a General Election were 'pretty fiery affairs'. Sadly I can't say who it was.

What happened in 2005 ? Well the Tories were elected of course..........

BOUND & GAGGED

Three weeks since I last posted. Longest gap ever, but I had a week or so away prior to Easter and have since been concentrating on the general election campaign.

On a personal level I was re-elected unopposed again with Tony Coburn to represent 'Newport East' on Newport Parish Council from June for a further 3 years. Pity really as I like elections, even taking account the work involved.......However, I will no longer be Parish Chair from 14 June as I am limited to a two year term.

This week was very illuminating in showing us what Cameron Tories are really like. There has been coverage in the local media, but briefly I was stopped from asking questions by the Tory Council Leader at Cabinet on Tuesday, and then had my Motion to next week's Full Council blocked by Council officers on very spurious grounds.

To be fair at Cabinet I managed to get my questions about the changes to refuse collections answered later in the meeting, but it was the very first time I have ever been blocked. And as the only opposition member at the meeting that is a very worrying development.

On my Motion seeking to re-direct the Council's massive media spending to future free school meals pilots for primary school children, should they be available. Well I was told that because the current pilots are mentioned in the Labour Party Election Manifesto officers could not allow the debate to take place, even though there are no policy commitments. When I complained I was told they would not change their mind and that the Tories had had a motion on proposed National Insurance increases blocked as well.

Frankly I see no correlation between the two . One is shamelessly and opportunistically about a clear Tory election commitment, the other is related to controversial Council expenditure being re-allocated to a possible continuing pilot in the future.....I would happily have debated both issues, but it seems officers run this Council at election time. Interestingly the first I knew they would not budge on my complaint was when I got a call from the CP................not hard to guess which part of the Council tipped them off. Nothing better to do, but tittle-tattle to journos.

Anyway as EVERYTHING on the Full Council agenda for next week is bound to be mentioned in a party manifesto somewhere I think I will turn up bound and gagged. In other words, a bit like a Tory backbench councillor...........

ROTWEILER SAYS NO TO MAYORS !

The last week or so I have been reflecting on the depths to which the IW Council leadership will sink, but have refrained from commenting here whilst others comment elsewhere.

One thing that made me laugh to night was the suggestion on another blog that we should look at having a Mayor for the Island again and that I would be a good candidate...............

As a reminder, I organised the successful 'No Mayor' campaign back in 2005 and I have not changed my views one iota. Just because we have a rubbish Council Leader doesn't mean that we wouldn't get a rubbish Mayor. And the latter are a lot harder to shift during their term of office than a Council Leader.

So any future referendum for a Mayor will be met by the same implacable opposition.

NO RE-ASSURANCES FOR CARE USERS, JUST WAFFLE

Full Council tonight - many apologies and hardly any public - I could see just two. And a very thin agenda that was all over after just over an hour. And no press other than the CP.......

Basically it was an opportunity for opposition councillors to hold Cabinet members to account in a little more depth and for one Tory to do their usual brown-nosing. The latter as ever seized their opportunity, but I'm not sure all the former took full advantage.

I went along with two areas to question: the absence of effective scrutiny after 9 months of this Council - the newish Independent Chair of Scrutiny agreed with me, as much of this is now the responsibility of Scrutiny Panel Chairs, who are loyal, payroll Tories. However, he will be making further endeavours to get his overarching Committee operating effectively......I wish him the best of luck.

Secondly with 2 questions for Cllr Cousins - but she was away doing far more important national business to trouble herself with the mayhem around her adult care portfolio on the Council. So the Leader covered for. I asked him to give some reassurance to care users and providers that from the 'dogs breakfast' they are making of social care personalisation they would prioritise getting it right. Some 10,000 words of waffle later I had to ask him again, but I got nowhere other than an invitation to join his Members on personalisation awareness sessions......

I also asked the Leader for some words of reassurance to my residents over the appointment of you know who as the Pan development contractors as it hasn't really gone down very well, but he preferred to lie (doesn't he always ?) that the 7 year funding of PNP is to be curtailed after the next and penultimate financial year. Yes the funding would be subject to a re-elected Labour government's comprehensive spending review with a probable positive outcome, but if the unbearable happens (a T**y government) it has about as much chance of surviving as a fish out of water.

Finally my most amusing moment was a question of Cllr Giles from the Tory for Newport Central asking when the parking review would be taking place as many of her residents are in 'dire straits' after the car park permit was abolished. But she voted FOR its abolition !!!

ARE THE TORIES TOO ASHAMED ?

I went along to the Riverside Centre stakeholders meeting yesterday morning. Concern within social care providers, like the Riverside, about the Council budget cuts and the rushed transition to personalisation remains unabated.

Of course this could have been an opportunity for Tory Councillors to reassure providers - and service users - that they have got it all wrong and that there aren't cuts at all, as they have been claiming.

But out of the 22 current members of the Tory group at County Hall, not one was able to answer the invitation. In particular the Council Leader and the relevant Cabinet member. In contrast obviously I was there, as were three Liberals and three Independents. Unlike the Tories we have nothing to be ashamed of......

SO IT'S BARRATTS.............

The Council last night announced that the new Pan developer will be Barratts, who will have to get started by the end of this month if £11m of government money for affordable housing isn't to be lost. Any start is likely to be fairly symbolic, with the real start sometime in late June/early July.

So the Island will have 254 new social housing homes by March 2015, which is to be welcomed.

Not sure about these developers though, which I am sure will lead to many groans of disappointment.......

Can I just stress that I had no involvement in the appointment, which was recommended to the 2 Tory Councillor decision-makers (Cllrs Bingham & Cousins) by a panel of 2 senior Council officers, a senior officer of Medina Housing Association's parent body, and the manager of PNP. That's not to say that the decision was not the right one - I just don't want to be associated with it !!!

CONSERVATIVE CONTEMPT

You might see a tiny piece in the CP today that tells us that former Tory Council Leader Andy Sutton is not to be expelled from the Tory Party after his standards board suspension. So when he returns to County Hall in August no doubt he wil be welcomed back into the ruling Tory group with open arms.

Just one word describes the Tory Party attitude to Council Tax payers - contempt.

JUST NOT ELVIS

I attended the Adult Social Care, Health & Housing Scrutiny Panel tonight. A rare event - two members of the public at a Scrutiny Panel, but they left soon after the Chair announced that the personalisation agenda item was not to be dealt with tonight (see my previous post). But they didn't leave until after I had made my very strong objections to this decision and the general demise of proper scrutiny on this Council.

Clearly the Tories are getting increasingly sensitive on the personalisation matter and the appalling way it is being implemented financially, with the Cabinet member (Cousins) now trying to suggest that I was one of those who did not understand the subject as I hadn't ever attended any of her informal policy briefings. I prefer not to listen to Tory distortions as I have a quite clear understanding, thank you.......She even tried to drag up my previous unhappiness about some of the Pan development consultations !!! Bonkers...

As for the rest of the meeting. Well this just isn't scrutiny as I know it and understand it. Presentations, consultations and performance review of old-hat data is frankly a complete waste of my time. And that of the other panel members. Its just insulting.

I will continue to attend to point this out to the panel chair at every meeting, but its like saying 'Elvis was rubbish' at an Elvis Presley convention.......

DID THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING ?

After the Council Budget debate it was clear that many Conservative councillors had absolutely no idea what personalisation of social care means as they voted through particularly savage cuts to voluntary sector services for vulnerable people. So I was relieved to see that the subject was on the Adult Social Care, Health & Housing Scrutiny Panel's agenda for this Thursday. I thought it would be an opportunity for some light to be shed for their benefit.

Sadly though I was told yesterday that councillors will instead have a training session on this subject, and the matter will no longer be considered in public at this stage. I have challenged this, but the Panel Chair has confirmed the decision.

What is most worrying is that the ruling Tory group based much of its Budget cuts on the personalisation agenda when quite clearly very few of them have any idea what it involves. Its enough to make carers weep with disbelief.

WANTED: A LEADER WITH VISION........

With all the continuing concerns about the Council Leader I was giving some thought as to who would replace him if he did the decent thing and resigned. And to be frank it is clear that he is pretty much the strongest in a jar of Tory tadpoles. Looking at the rest of his Cabinet it is clear that the most the best of them (Bingham, Cousins) can offer is a similar level of 'bureaucratic' leadership rather than the political vision and strategic thinking the Island really requires.

Casting my mind back it is clear that IW Council leaders of the last 30 years have been a fairly uninspiring lot when it comes to vision and strategic thinking. Morris B (1983-98) was the ultimate machine politician who delivered 4 successive Liberal Council victories before standing down. I suppose you can't ask much more of political leadership ! Marc M-H (1998-2000) hardly stuck around long enough to make a difference - and the Council was hung and consequently paralysed. Shirley S (2000-05) nearly harmed herself holding together the Island First egos, whilst they bled the Council Tax payer dry.

To be honest the one leader in my opinion who had any political vision and any idea of strategy was Sutton (2005-07), but he lost sight of where he was supposed to be going as soon as the trappings of office had settled on his shoulders.

So all in all if Pugh were to go eventually his replacement won't have a lot to live up to........

AND THEN THERE WERE - (gulp) - FIFTEEN !!!

So the Tories did their worst......

The Budget setting Full Council on Wednesday was long (4 hours), occasionally impassioned and ultimately heartless as the Tory budget proposals were eventually agreed by 19 votes to 14 with 1 Tory abstention - with the Chair not voting, 2 councillors suspended, 1 absent and 2 leaving before the final vote - all the Named Votes are detailed at the end of this post. Well done Bill Wyatt-Millington for having a conscience and abstaining.

The Budget amendment I had proposed with the assistance of some of the independent group went down by 20 votes to 15, which was a unity of all opposition councillors for the first time since the Tories were first elected back in 2005. The Liberal amendment lost by 20 votes to 10, with 5 independents preferring not to support it. I did.

The acting Chair decided to be entirely undemocratic and to deny me the concluding full 'right of reply' on my amendment, despite the fact that such rights of reply have been allowed at every Budget meeting that I have ever been part of or witnessed. They really must fear me - probably with good cause as Tory debating skills leave a lot to be desired.

Now it is the job of all opposition and Tory backbench councillors - all 33 of us who are on the margins of this Council - to make sure this cruel budget does not hurt vulnerable people as much as we fear and the Cabinet denies.

One last point - one Tory backbencher congratulated me on my contribution to the Budget debate when I bumped into them yesterday. He then asked me where I got all the information to propose an alternative as the likes of him weren't party to budget considerations..........

‘Named Votes’ were as follows:

LUMLEY/STEPHENS ALTERNATIVE BUDGET:

In favour – Lumley, Stephens, Bacon, Churchman, Downer, Dyer, Fuller, Humby, Welsford, Whittle, Barry, Howe, Knowles, Richards, Whittaker(A).(15) Joyce suspended

Against – All Tories – Pugh, Abraham, Bingham, Brown, Bulwer, Cameron, Cousins, Dixcey, Giles, Hobart, Hollis, Hunter-Henderson, Jones-Evans, Scoccia, Ward, Webster, White, Williams, Wyatt-Millington – and Whittaker(D).(20) – Taylor excluded due to prejudicial interest, Mazillius in Chair not voting, Peacey-Wilcox sent apologies, Sutton suspended

(Those in BOLD contributed to the debate)

LOST 15 votes to 20

***

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT AMENDMENT:

In favour – Barry, Howe, Knowles, Richards, Lumley, Bacon, Churchman, Fuller, Welsford, Whittaker(A). (10)

Against – same Tories and Whittaker(D). (20)

Abstained – Downer, Dyer, Humby, Stephens, Whittle (5)

LOST 10 votes to 20

***

CONSERVATIVE REVISED BUDGET PROPOSAL:

In favour – same Tories, except Wyatt-Millington. (19) – Taylor now voting, Whittaker(D) had left.

Against – Lumley, Stephens, Bacon, Churchman, Downer, Dyer, Fuller, Humby, Welsford, Whittle, Barry, Howe, Knowles, Richards. (14) – Whittaker (A) had left.

Abstained – Wyatt-Millington (Tory-Chale, Niton & Whitwell) (1)

APPROVED 19 votes to 14

***

Please save these for 2013……..

HALLELUJAH !

At last, after five barren years, the local Liberals have entered the debate about the Council budget with some serious proposals. So next week we will have two amendments to the Tory proposals where there have always been one, from me.

And there is some good stuff in their budget. Some overlaps with ours (eg. reductions in media and communications, reduction in carbon emissions by 10%), some of it is plain daft (eg. returning the senior management structure to what it was in 2005 within just one year), and some of it entirely fails to hit the spot.

Missing the spot are the absence of any support for Westminster House; the failure to loosen the straightjacket that will be put on the vulnerable people who don't use Supporting People services, but need other social services; the failure to retain music lesson subsidies for children of the less well-off; and the failure to recognise that the care 'personalisation' agenda is really going to hit some care providers in the next year.

Nonetheless, I will be inclined to vote for their amendment once ours has fallen. However, I bet they won't do the same to ours.

What would be good would be if we could find common ground and have an amendment on the night that all opposition members (15) can get behind. And maybe then, just maybe, 5 Tories might remember that supporting the Council Leader isn't as important as supporting vulnerable people.........

THE BUDGET CHOICE.......

Press Release:

LABOUR COUNCILLOR WORKS WITH INDEPENDENTS TO DELIVER ALTERNATIVE BUDGET

The Isle of Wight's Labour Councillor, Geoff Lumley has today published the 'Alternative Budget' for Full Council that he now traditionally proposes each year in response to the Conservative budget proposals. For the last three years he has been the sole councillor to do this and he has secured increasing levels of support at each step.

This year Cllr Lumley, in the unfortunate absence of a Labour colleague, has worked with members of the Council's Independent group to produce an alternative budget. The proposal will be seconded by Cllr Ian Stephens, Vice Chairman of the Council. Cllr Lumley also hopes to get support for the proposals from other independent councillors, many of whom have made suggestions for the alternative budget.

The Alternative Budget, although still proposing a 2.5% increase in Council Tax next year, seeks to lessen the effects of some of the savage £11million cuts proposed by the Conservative leadership at County Hall by instead reducing spend on: -

areas that bring little benefit to Islanders, such as media communications and performance measurement;
excessive carbon emissions;
wasted energy usage for some street lighting;
over ambitious capital programmes that are never delivered;
services duplication in the ENO scheme, whilst replacing it with a better-focused community warden scheme;
loss-making harbour and leisure operations;
over-provision for so-called 'doubtful debts';

and makes a novel suggestion that high-earning Council managers set a 'we are all in this together' austerity example by giving up 15% of all earnings above £90,000 pa - potentially raising more than £150k.

In return for these nearly £3 million of efficiencies, the Alternative Budget proposes for example:-

keeping Westminster House open;
putting £1million back into Supporting People, which with the £1.9m still to be properly used for this service rather than other services restores the Cabinet proposed cut entirely;
reversing over £0.5million of the cuts to budgets for vulnerable and homeless people;
cushioning the Council's withdrawl from care facilities like Haylands Farm, Osel and the Riverside and Medina Centres;
reducing the residents car park permit increase to £50 pa less than the leadership proposes, with pensioners still entitled to a £50 permit;
reinstating the youth music service subsidy;
recognising that financial support to unions cannot credibly be cut;
reinstating a budget for public realm works;
and restoring capacity to the Highways service.

Cllr Lumley said, "Although I was intending to do this Alternative Budget on my own I am pleased that a number of independent councillors, and particularly Ian Stephens were keen to be involved. Ian has been a real support. Consequently we have a proposal that addresses a very wide range of spending areas. This is a budget alternative that addresses climate change issues more robustly, as well as redirecting bureaucratic expenditure towards services for vulnerable people. That is what many Islanders want and I hope that this alternative will command wide support in the community if not the Council Chamber. I would have liked to do more, but the mess the Council's finances are in after the last 5 years will take some time to tackle. "

END

ABSENCE OF JUDGEMENT

I had been getting back into blogging, when the storms hit........

The Council demand that Mark Chiverton (prospective Labour parliamentary candidate for the Island) either resign his candidacy or resign his job at the Council came like a bolt from the blue - much like some of the budget cuts the Tories are proposing (more separately).

Anyone who reads Island blogs or online news will know most of this sorry tale. Suffice to say that Mark is a truthful person and in this case there is no sensible reason for even a serial liar to lie. Additionally I have seen the emails and heard subsequent witness evidence.

What is beyond doubt is the entire absence of judgment displayed by either or both of the Council's Leader and the Chief Executive when they decided to go down this particular undemocratic road. Its not as if this Council can afford much more bad publicity.

This matter isn't going to go away...................................

COUNCIL BUDGET BLACKHOLE

Press Release:

"How on earth has the current IW Council budget blackhole doubled in just 4 months ? From £3.5 million in December, to £6.5 million in April. And why are the leadership no longer taking successful 'management action .....to reduce spend in identified pressure areas' ?" (Sources: Cabinet report 8.12.09, 'Update on the Overall Financial Position').

These are important questions being asked by Labour's Cllr Geoff Lumley in the light of a presentation to be made to the largely toothless, majority-controlled Overview & Scrutiny Committee next Monday.

See http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/Overview & Scrutiny Committee/1-2-10/agenda.pdf

Cllr Lumley who although presenting the only opposition budgets for the last three years is not a member of this committee. However, in his preparations for an alternative budget this year he has been staggered to learn that the Council leadership appears to be abandoning attempts to balance this year's Budget.

Cllr Lumley said, "At the December Cabinet, meeting we were told that although there were in year financial pressures they would, as you would expect, manage them through to a balance. The presentation on Monday tells us that they expect this years overspend to amount to £6.5m next year, suggesting to me that Council finances are out of control.

£3.5 million of this overspend is related to Adult Social Care and Learning Disabilities Services, which were projected to overspend by just £1.2 million in December. This is a three-fold increase in less than a quarter. And in a Kafka-esque move later on in the Scrutiny presentation the Council leadership propose to cut back Adult Care Services next year by - yes, you guessed it, £3.5 million. It beggars belief."

"Quite frankly I expected more of a political leadership so keen to sell itself as financially competent. This is gross mis-management of the Council's finances and the people to suffer will be those who can ill-afford it. If they aren't up to the job perhaps they should step aside and let others who could do the job ?"