The following are Frontline Services which are to be cut (there are others)
Adult social care:-
· Reduction of mental health social workers
· Reduction of brain injury social work and closure of brain injury unit
· Closure of gardening project for adults with learning difficulties
· Cuts to staff working in residential and independent living services (learning difficulties)
Social workers are going to be asked to re-assess vulnerable adults with a view to finding a reduction in the budget.
Older people’s services:
· Sheltered housing – removal of onsite wardens and replacement with BT panic alarms
Children’s services:
· All school crossing patrol (lollipop man/lady) staff to be cut
· 33% cut in staff working in Youth & Connexions
· 33% cut in staff working in youth offending service
· No youth services by 2014
· 97 children’s centre workers at risk
· More social work posts to go in 2012 and 2013
Perks for Tory Councillors:
Allowances for Tory Councillors who chair committees for a couple of hours every couple of months raised by 54%
Salary for CEO of Barnet Council
Including pension and perks - approx £240,000 per annum
Monthly Bill for Contractor acting as Deputy CEO of Barnet Council
Approx £17,000 PCM
Annual income for Tory Councillor Brian Coleman for a string of part time jobs
Over £114,000 per annum
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Now take a deep breath, think of lovely things and meditate on the words of Tory Leader of Barnet Council Lynne Hillan "We are all in this together". Does it feel like that to you?
3 comments:
I think, even if just for a moment, we should take a step back, and ask why all this has to happen.
The UK was never a basket-case economy like Greece. Overstretched, maybe, but stable, owning mainly long-term not short-term debt.
It is simply not proven that we have to go through this nightmare, that will cause such harm to society. But if Labour even leaves a note in the Treasury: "There's no money left" (ho, ho) then there is no-one credible to argue the case against.
If I understand you correctly, Baarnett, the main people we need to convince are ourselves, the people who will suffer from the cuts and the increased charges.
People can and do put up with a lot of rubbish if the papers and the politicians are telling them things have to be like this. ...Even when they dislike papers and politicians.
Because who is saying any different, with any conviction?
I delivered some of the Barnet Alliance newspaper around West Hendon estate today. It's an attempt to 'agitate', in the sense of the old phrase 'agitate, educate, organise'. Hopefully, the paper also provides some facts which people can use to start to educate themselves about the broad political situation.
I hope the residents of West Hendon, suffering through the estate's bungled redevelopment plans, courtesy of the council, will be convinced, if they aren't already, that the cuts - at least, on this scale - are unnecessary, and join many others for the march on Sunday 30 January.
It is a protest march - if you don't like what is happening, come and protest! Or we will keep getting yet more and more rubbish from politicians.
I am a Labour Party member and voter, but it's clear that their policies, while better than the Tories', are not adequate. Introducing student tuition fees, a case in point. The note left at the Treasury is so cynical it's shocking. For any responsible politician to behave like that... well, it shows he is not responsible.
We have to organise; I don't advocate a new party (some do) to represent these broad anti-cuts, pro-public service politics. But we do need to keep up the pressure beyond simply staging one-off protests.
I hope we can use some of the momentum from our Barnet campaign to shunt the Labour Party and the trade unions into more action, and to give more people the experience of being politically active. We lead such atomised lives! In even the recent past, people were more active than they are now.
I think Roger is right about Friday night, though, and it is time for some rest and relaxation - or some dinner at least!
Message to Roger's readers:
Please have a look at the newspaper if you haven't already, and if you can distribute some copies in your area, drop me an email c/o info@barnettuc.org.uk.
http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/our-barnet-january-2011.pdf
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