Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by matt on January 28, 2011 at 21:33

I don't understand why they pledge money for specific things and then don't ringfence them!

 

Put simply the government is making the councils do the hard work of making spending decisions locally. They are giving significantly less money to councils and saying to them 'you decide what to cut'. They then have the cynical approach of suggesting to the public at large that money is still provided for certain services, thereby putting pressure on councils to follow Coalition wishes. However, because as you point out nothing is actually ring fenced those favoured policy areas of the coalition can be cut anyway by councils across the country. 

 

The cuts are so deep that eveything is affected one way or another. The affects of these cuts won't be felt for 6 months or so as services start to deteriorate and then folk will start to wake up and the complaints will begin to roll in. 

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Permalink Reply by matt on January 28, 2011 at 21:41

Hornsey Journal's summary of the cuts;

 

More massive cuts for Haringey services announced

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Permalink Reply by tigha on January 31, 2011 at 10:09

I have seen a far more disturbing document which actually says what all the spending cuts will mean in black and white and actually involve in cutting many front line services particularly targeting children, old people and mental health services and dissability services. This includes ALexandra Road  Crisis Centre which I note hasnt been mentioned anywhere else. But then why doesnt that surprise me as most of the other services designated for closure also havent been mentioned-will try to get a copy of the document to print on line

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on January 31, 2011 at 12:43

Yes, please, Karen. It's vital that accurate 'hard' information is available to Haringey residents. Otherwise we just get rumours.

But please bear in mind that budget discussions include early drafts and alternative options. As a backbench councillor - i.e. pond life - I'm not involved in the fine detail. But I do know that council staff have been wrestling with the challenge of keeping frontline services open. And that means , a lot of "what ifs" as budgets are 'profiled' and 're-profiled'.

There may be more information available through the all day budget scrutiny process which is happening today. It may be webcast.

 

(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 1, 2011 at 12:11

A brief update. People have asked about the webcast of the Budget Scrutiny yesterday. It should be on Haringey's website tomorrow (2 February.) Check here.

A number of budget papers for the Scrutiny meeting are posted. These are listed on the same page. Look for "Related items, Overview and Scrutiny, Mon, 31st Jan 2010 @ 10:00".

I wasn't there, but I'd be interested to read comments from residents who were able to attend. For example, what did people find helpful? Have they suggestions for improving public budget scrutiny in the future?

Arrangements for Scrutiny are changing following the Independent "Governance Review" by Shared Intelligence.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 11, 2011 at 14:16

A report on Shaping Our Future , the consultation on the budget proposals, was one of the documents tabled at the Council "cabinet" on Tuesday (8 February). You can download it here.

I hadn't seen it before. Although maybe the "cabinet" councillors saw an earlier version and were able to discuss it at their pre-meetings where decisions are actually taken. 

As people will appreciate, the timing of the Report is unfortunate as it comes after the wider decision-making process. On the other hand the contents of the Report are not that illuminating and summaries of residents' opinion are very sweeping. Although this may be partly because the questions originally asked were broad and not especially informative.

Plainly, we have a very long way to go in achieving effective participatory budgeting.

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Permalink Reply by Alison P on February 11, 2011 at 14:29

Thanks Alan.

 

As one of the 740 (according to this) people who struggled through the questionnaire, this isn't very encouraging. That said, I would not have much faith in the responses given the complexity of the questions. Interpreting the responses isn't helped by the fact that - as you say - the summaries are very sweeping. In particular, I dont understand the logic of presenting the % who want spending on a particular area to stay as it is with the % who would like to see it reduced.

It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth really - all that effort to compile something that people struggled to answer to their best ability and this is what we see? I'd rather councils didn't do research like this than did it this badly.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 11, 2011 at 15:53

As I recall, Alison, surveys are your professional field. So I'm hesitant about commenting. 

However I'd guess a big problem is simply the lack of time. Apparently Eric Pickles describes himself as "a fat man in a hurry". But I suspect even the Coalition may end up thinking that less haste more speed might have been wiser. 

As I recall from a research course several decades ago - (fool rushes in) - it's good practice for even the most number-crunching surveys to start with some qualitative interviews; followed by piloting of a draft questionnaire. Which takes care - and time.

So I've serious worries about a questionnaire which appears to show 31% of  respondents in Haringey (of all places) think that children's safeguarding should have no funding.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on February 25, 2011 at 0:09

At about 11.30pm, the budget was passed and no LibDem amendments were accepted, tweeted @HamandHighBroadway.

 

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Permalink Reply by matt on February 25, 2011 at 0:17

Council Budget Meeting invasion by protestors tonight

BBC London news report council chambers stormed by protestors angry at cuts at tonights cabinet budget meeting. Mobile video showed complete chaos.

Haringey Independent reports;

..... meeting has been brought to a standstill while protesters run amok through the civic centre.

Councillors tried to reconvene their meeting in the canteen but had to move on quickly when the fire alarm was set off and the mob burst into the room.

Members have now gathered at an undisclosed location while police officers try to clear the chamber but, according to a spokesman, are being met with resistance. Council leader Claire Kober is in a crisis meeting with chief executive Kevin Crompton while they decide whether or not the meeting will go ahead.

Someone has loaded the BBC London report up onto YouTube (without sound!);

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Permalink Reply by matt on February 25, 2011 at 0:36

Liz reports;

At about 11.30pm, the budget was passed and no LibDem amendments were accepted, tweeted @HamandHighBroadway.

-----------------------------

 

Of course Labour will have pushed their cuts through, meeting in the toilet block if necessary. They are determined to make a political point that the govt has forced these cuts on us and particularly the most vulnerable .... so this council has done just that, hit the most vulnerable. Cynical politics from the party that lead this country into deficit in the first place. And of course the Tories are now taking advantage of this to push through their own agenda. Completely cynical but that's politics for you.

 

Just a minute, looking at BBC News 24 (as I type) it appears protestors have set up camp in Tahrir  Trafalgar Square .......

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on February 25, 2011 at 9:09

Biladi biladi biladi, Lakihubbi wa fuad.

;o)

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