Suffolk County Council has revealed plans to Out Source all of its services, they claim to be able to save approximately 30% of their 1.3bn pound budget. This will basically transform the council from a service provider to a contract manager.
When I first heard this I suspected it could simply be a headline grab and that there was even a chance that it was simply some grandstanding aiming at making a point to central government however the more I think about it the better it actually seems, after all, why do we feel that the government should be a service provider? I agree that the government have a duty for order and protection of the most vulnerable in society but have we become so convinced over the years that this can only mean direct service provision that we have stopped thinking there is any alternative?
Obviously the Union (Unison this time) have warned that this will lead to danger for the poorest members of society and there will be massive redundancy of the staff, but as I have mentioned before I would take more notice if the unions said something different just occasionally, but I doubt that is happening anytime soon.
Anyway, I do agree that this is a highly risky strategy and if Suffolk are to go ahead with this they really need to ensure that the contracts are well written and contain very clear service level agreements. I also hope that the government keep a close eye on it as although I doubt it will be a fit for all areas it will certainly be a very interesting model.
Showing posts with label Councillors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Councillors. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Councillor Prosecuted for Racist Comments
I saw an article over on the BBC.co.uk’s magazine section regarding the rules of Speech Crime (When you can be prosecuted for what you say.) like many issues I can see both sides of the story on this one as I deplore racism and feel that anyone who uses racial (or other prejudice) language and insults against someone deserves punishment. On the other hand however I believe fully in freedom of the individual, I believe the answer to racism is not to silence the debate but to bring it into the open and therefore beat it with education and logic.
The article was written after the case of Cllr Shirley Brown (Lib Dem) on Bristol Council, apparently she called an Asian Councillor a “Coconut”, now I have to admit when I read that I was shocked and thought it was more PC nonsense, however on reading deeper it appears that Ms Brown called fellow councillor, Jay Jethwa (Conservative) a coconut as it is a well known insult for someone who is brown on the outside but white in the middle. (First I have heard it.) Ms Brown goes on to say "I must admit, I was angry because I thought it was an absolute insult, because she is of Asian background. I was thinking how could you cut funding that is going to impact so many people. So the first thing that came to mind, instead of saying 'you idiot', I said 'you coconut'." When I read this I found this incredible, so basically what she is saying is that if you are Asian, Black etc.. you have to vote (and I assume) think a certain way? Surely to believe that someone has to have certain opinions due to their skin colour is the worse form of Racism! And to say that someone is “white” because they disagree with you is insulting to the victim of the attack and every white person in this country, and I am sure there are many white people who would have been on her side.
Personally I think it is a shame that clearly racist individuals like Ms brown are allowed to hold political office, however as I said earlier this may be the price of freedom, I just hope that her constituents take the next opportunity to relieve her of spending time with people she clearly feels uncomfortable with.
The article was written after the case of Cllr Shirley Brown (Lib Dem) on Bristol Council, apparently she called an Asian Councillor a “Coconut”, now I have to admit when I read that I was shocked and thought it was more PC nonsense, however on reading deeper it appears that Ms Brown called fellow councillor, Jay Jethwa (Conservative) a coconut as it is a well known insult for someone who is brown on the outside but white in the middle. (First I have heard it.) Ms Brown goes on to say "I must admit, I was angry because I thought it was an absolute insult, because she is of Asian background. I was thinking how could you cut funding that is going to impact so many people. So the first thing that came to mind, instead of saying 'you idiot', I said 'you coconut'." When I read this I found this incredible, so basically what she is saying is that if you are Asian, Black etc.. you have to vote (and I assume) think a certain way? Surely to believe that someone has to have certain opinions due to their skin colour is the worse form of Racism! And to say that someone is “white” because they disagree with you is insulting to the victim of the attack and every white person in this country, and I am sure there are many white people who would have been on her side.
Personally I think it is a shame that clearly racist individuals like Ms brown are allowed to hold political office, however as I said earlier this may be the price of freedom, I just hope that her constituents take the next opportunity to relieve her of spending time with people she clearly feels uncomfortable with.
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Full Council Meeting
Tonight was my first council meeting as a member of the public for over four years. I noticed 2 main things that struck me. Firstly the seats in the Public Gallery are really uncomfortable, it explains why the gallery empties quickly after the public question time is over.
Secondly the whole process seemed to be a complete exercise in futility, tonight's meeting was primarily to elect a new mayor and decide the new positions on the council committees and outside bodies. It was simply a secession of votes to decide if the Representatives should be Tory or Labour, every single vote was carried 24 to 10 in the Conservatives favour, yet still each position was voted on, perhaps a better way to have settled it would have been to each submit the answers agreed at group and then at 7:30 count how many from each side are there and that side wins. Could all be out by 7:45.
Anyway, the meeting was over quite quickly and we went to the reception afterwards which was good to catch up again with some people I had not seen for quite a while.
My final comment is that I would like to say congratulations to the new mayor and mayoress Lee & Ali Burke who I am sure will be a real asset to the roles.
Friday, 14 May 2010
Councillor in Nazi Salute Outrage
I came across this story on the BBC News website about a City Councillor in Stoke who was pictured next to two men giving a Nazi Salute.
Steve Batkin who serves on Stoke City Council for the BNP was pictured in 2002 with three men standing on a war memorial giving the Nazi Salute.
Unfortunately I am not surprised by this picture after all I have long thought that the best way to tackle the BNP is to let them talk and give their views. This more than anything shows them for the dim witted individuals which so often fill their ranks.
Looking at this picture and as if the fact that two guys are giving a Nazi salute is not enough to shatter the thin Vail of respectability, the fact that the guy on the far right can not stop drinking long enough for the shot to be taken together with the fact that they chose a Memorial to the 326,000 men and women who gave their lives to keep the Nazi salute out of the UK must be enough to show them up.
Everyone involved in Politics would have seen an increasing trend by the BNP to present themselves as a mainstream party, several years ago I was telling at a polling station when a young member of the BNP told me that they were going to start being a more respectable party I really had no worries that it would be true, especially as there were 3 of them and two Bull Terriers completely ruining their own argument by looking like walking (Grunting) stereotypes.
Steve Batkin who serves on Stoke City Council for the BNP was pictured in 2002 with three men standing on a war memorial giving the Nazi Salute.Unfortunately I am not surprised by this picture after all I have long thought that the best way to tackle the BNP is to let them talk and give their views. This more than anything shows them for the dim witted individuals which so often fill their ranks.
Looking at this picture and as if the fact that two guys are giving a Nazi salute is not enough to shatter the thin Vail of respectability, the fact that the guy on the far right can not stop drinking long enough for the shot to be taken together with the fact that they chose a Memorial to the 326,000 men and women who gave their lives to keep the Nazi salute out of the UK must be enough to show them up.
Everyone involved in Politics would have seen an increasing trend by the BNP to present themselves as a mainstream party, several years ago I was telling at a polling station when a young member of the BNP told me that they were going to start being a more respectable party I really had no worries that it would be true, especially as there were 3 of them and two Bull Terriers completely ruining their own argument by looking like walking (Grunting) stereotypes.
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