Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Big savings needed in Haringey. Where should the savings come from?
Now the party's truly over. I've been talking for a while now about the need for local authorities to save something like 20-25% from their budgets. This evening Panorama took up the theme. It's now out there. For Haringey that'll mean savings of something like £80-100m in savings. That's huge! We're facing the biggest cuts since the 1970s. Handled badly, it will be an emergency.
So what do we think? What would we choose? We can sit back and let the Council take decisions or we can share the responsibility and contribute our views. Probably about as exciting as doing your expenses, but something we should probably be doing.
Here's how Haringey's spending is split right now:
So discuss. For more details on Haringey's finances, see this area on their website.
Some rules. Only constructive discussion allowed. If you want to party-politic or bash the Council, please go to another discussion. I'm opening this discussion for constructive discussion only. Break those rules and ya get nuked!
So what do we think? What would we choose? We can sit back and let the Council take decisions or we can share the responsibility and contribute our views. Probably about as exciting as doing your expenses, but something we should probably be doing.
Here's how Haringey's spending is split right now:
So discuss. For more details on Haringey's finances, see this area on their website.
Some rules. Only constructive discussion allowed. If you want to party-politic or bash the Council, please go to another discussion. I'm opening this discussion for constructive discussion only. Break those rules and ya get nuked!
Tags for Forum Posts: cuts, public spending cuts
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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constructive discussion only
Many suggestions of HoL members will be wise, sensible and rational. But is idle to pretend that suggesting savings can be "constructive discussion" in the sense of building something useful that takes effect, when there are a number of reasons (which I listed in another post) to believe the council is unlikely to take notice. A council spokesperson told the BBC some months ago that HoL has no influence on council policy. I'd be happy to be proved wrong about this.
party-politic or bash the Council
It is also idle to avoid the political dynamic operating. Whether anyone likes it or not, there exists a political dimension to council cuts - and yes, even a *party* political dimension. We can avoid recognising this aspect, but it doesn't mean that that dimension doesn't exist and is likely to be important in determining the way cuts will be mandated by central government.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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BBC article: Local council spending over £500 to be published online.
'The coalition government's plans also include making all councils publish meeting minutes, as well as local service and performance data.'
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Permalink Reply by David Jones on
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Every item of spend over £500 to be published! Do they realise how many people local authorities will need to employ to monitor and communicate this? Is it really vital that you know when someone in Haringey order new photocopier toners worth £500.01? This is a completely bonkers idea and will result in MORE money being spent.
What next - a cones hotline?
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Yes I think the £500 marker might be a little low but the spirit of it makes sense. Politicians never think through how something might work in practice though. Nice job for an ICT consultant. Oh hang on a minute, isn't the coalition government axing ICT projects in tomorrow's 6 billion slash & burn exercise. :) They never learn do they.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on
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Bet you they've got a computerised accounting system that probably could do this quite easily - after all, I presume it produces their spending reports already, unless the Haringey pie charts I get with the Council Tax bill are pure fiction.
It looks as if all boroughs use the same reporting so as to more easily compare them. The link that Rachel so helpfully posted in this thread (http://www.localspending.communities.gov.uk) already shows, for instance, the cost per head to register electors as £454 in Haringey and £377 in Barnet.
I suppose the question prompted is, as we already know a lot, when we know more, will we be able to change anything?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Take a look at the link Rachael provided us earlier in in this thread. It offers some nice comparative data on spending.
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Good points Chris. Systems already there but what exactly is achieved by publishing such detail. Surely the dept for Local Government already gets this data. 99% of the public won't be interested until of course the Daily Mail starts ranting.
Commenters in this thread better be careful what they wish for with cuts. In Canada they dealt with their deficit hard & fast. With some of their hospitals they sacked the staff .... and blew up the buildings. (watch the ITV report). Do people wish that of the Whittington?
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Matt, if you are in a serious accident you will not be taken to the Whittington, you will be taken to the Royal London and as far as I can tell the council do not pay for the NHS. The biggest expenditure we have is children's services and education.
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>>publishing such detail
Hi Matt - I think that publishing costs (via the web) are lower than ever, and getting cheaper. Everything should be published unless there is a good (stated) reason not to. This lets people exercise their freedom to use the info (after all, we paid for it) in any way they choose. The more eyes on the data, the better! What's wrong with that?
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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A legal obligation to publish documents online would have a big advantage. Residents (and councillors) would have far less need to visit council offices; or to make Freedom of Information requests to gain access to documents.
It could also strengthen the hand of those bureaucrats who welcome greater openness and are pleased to communicate what they do. Opening the windows to let in fresh air and sunshine is essential to rebuilding public trust - not just in politicians, but a whole range of government and non-government organisations.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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