Quite how they managed to do it, but in the 4 years the Conservatives have been in control of the Council they have managed to plunge our finances into £7 million of deficit.What does this incompetent management mean for us? We are faced with another big rise in council tax and likely a large cut in council services. Pay a lot more and get less.
As well as higher tax and poorer services, we also start the New Year with many families in Coventry having the spectre of redundancy hanging over them. It seems that the mismanagement of the Conservatives could see 120 people losing their jobs with the council.
Why tolerate this? The good people of Coventry deserve a change …
21 comments:
Are you really the person to change this?
How?
What can you do to win my support, I am one for change I think people of Coventry should run Coventry. We waste so much money on area's like Woodend and Henley Green... what for they don't need money they need to be shown right from wrong. I lived in Woodend for 12 years most people were great and there was a great feeling but then it takes on bad apple - I seen the riots, motorbikes on play area's, people smashing and burning car's and houses sometimes their own just to get a house in another street or next to their friends or just because someone looked at them wrong. where these people kicked out of the area---- no just given what ever they wanted. Back around 1990 millions were spent on the place to make the houses better but the trouble was still there the same people. Now most of the houses have been pulled down and the people moved to Henley Green and the local area these people should be told if they carry-on with their ways then the council wil no longer house them and leave them to find their own place to live because a private landlord would never put up with it.....
Why do I bother paying my road tax/council tax. The roads in Coventry are not fit for purpose.
Will you be looking at this?
What about the 400 facing redundancy at the sorting office due to the Labour Government?
What about Northern rocks huge debts?
The implication is that a Labour-led council would avoid a "big rise" in council tax, avoid "large cuts" in council services, and also avoid the 120 job cuts.
How will Labour do this?
Well Bally,
It has been a few weeks since my 1st post and still nothing from you. I must say you don't seem to be the one.
Thank you for the previous comment because it has made me change how I will approach using this blog in the future.
At first you see I did respond to every comment made on my blog. But I then had some 'expert' advice that a blog should be used to make an initial statement, in order to provoke a discussion amongst the visitors of the site, however not to get involved in that discussion.
Your comment has made me realise that this blog is different though; it is a political blog where visitors want answers from me, as I seek to represent the issues that matter to you.
In this vein I will trust my initial instincts, and respond where appropriate to the comments made on this site.
Sorry for the delay :(
In response to the first comment made on January 12.....
I agree wholeheartedly with your basic premise that the good people of Coventry should be far more involved in the running of our own city.
Earlier this week I was involved in a policy forum for Coventry, organised by the government minister for the West Midlands Liam Byrne. When I was there I was thinking to myself 'this is great, it is democracy in action!' Sure I didn’t agree with every view, but it was truly wonderful to see the exchange of ideas, opinions sometimes changing, but underpinning this debate the desire of good people to achieve agreement and pursue a common goal to improve our lives.
And yes too much in the past we have wasted money in the hope that money alone will solve problems of poverty and social breakdown. Throwing money at problems does not work because it takes away the social and individual responsibility that is needed from citizens to improve their own local neighbourhoods.
Residents need to be actively involved from the start, in helping to shape ideas to improve their area. Neighbourhood responsibility also means that full support should be given to the police so that they can carry out their primary duty of ensuring we all live in a safe environment. Residents need to take pride in their area, little things like a well maintained garden for example makes such a big difference if adopted by everyone.
The American Barack Obama has mentioned a growing problem in all modern societies, and that is the 'empathy deficit.' If we started to look at life more through each others eyes, regardless of race, gender or class, we can start building up the sense of community that is needed to reenergise our most deprived areas - because if these areas fail, we have all failed.
Please email me at whoberleylabourparty@hotmail.co.uk if you wish to discuss more.
Hi Scott
The answer is 'Yes!'
A labour controlled council will bring back financial competency, building a base for better local services and more secure employment.
In response to the comment made on January 27...
I oppose the Post Office's decision to close the sorting office in town. I believe that our 3 MP's and local politicians are trying to identify and secure an alternative site for the sorting office in the city.
Doing so will make it harder for Royal Mail executives to justify the loss of these jobs.
You also raise the Northern Rock issue. This privately run business got into trouble because of a poor business model which used the international lending markets to obtain the majority of its cash flow. The problems in America, caused by extreme right wing economics promoted by George Bush meant that money from these international markets dried up.
Northern Rock asked for a temporary lending facility from the Bank of England which when publicised caused a run on the bank. The government had to step in to restore confidence in the banking sector. Government lending to Northern Rock is secured on its assets, which by all financial commentators is recognised to be a high quality loan book.
The Labour government have announced an innovative plan to secure the long term viability of the bank, by proposing to issue bonds that would be bought by the new private investor.
Do not forget though that the initial root of the problem was Northern Rock’s poor management; their greed left the bank exposed to any possible downturn in the global financial sector. It is safe to assume that this same management voted for the irresponsible economic policies advocated by the Conservatives!
In general the Labour government’s economic record has been unprecedented in post war Britain. The UK is the only economy amongst the major developed nations to have had 5 years of continuous economic and employment growth. Because of Labour’s economic record we are well placed to face the oncoming global economic downturn. Compare that to the dismal Conservative economics of the 1990’s?
In response to the comment made on January 18...
I intend to bring action so that the problem of poor council services is improved.
You highlight the state of our roads in Coventry which are too often not fit for purpose. I intend to focus my energy on improving routine maintenance - better maintained roads is an investment in achieving value for money, reducing the need for expensive grandiose projects.
Bally,
It is great to have your comments back and I look forward to hearing more from you, you seem to listen and that is a good start.
Council tax, under a Labour council, will either rise more than the Tories, be the same as the Tories, rise less than the Tories, stay level, or be cut. What would happen under Labour? If council tax rises, but less steep than the Tories, how do you both safeguard services and prevent job losses? If council tax remains level or even a cut in council tax, how do you expand local services? It's a bit shady to say that you can cut council tax and expand services. Don't start out a political career by being vague. Be specific, and be honest, rather than hiding behind phrases like "financial competency" or "building a base for better local services."
Hi Scott
A recent Coventry Evening Telegraph article confirmed that the Conservative Council will lose 116 jobs, increase council taxes above inflation, and use money from our reserves to pay off the deficit they have incurred.
All this despite the Council being awarded an above inflation funding increase from the Labour government! Imagine then how much worse it could have been?
How would a Labour administration improve things? The answer is quite simple - by proper financial management. You need look no further than the New Labour government for an example - during much of the 1990's we were seen as a laughing stock economy by the rest of the world, prone to high inflation, high interest rates and high unemployment. We also had the worst public services in Europe.
However since 1997 we have experienced continued growth, low inflation, low interest rates, and low unemployment with full minimum wage protection. Remarkably this has been combined with huge investment in public services.
Yes there is still a lot to do; the Labour government have rightly raised our expectations on public services and economic management. We should never be complacent, but I am confident that if the all the talents of our people are utilised and encouraged, our future is bright...
I read in this weeks Coventry Times that despite Geofrrey Robinson attacking the proposed cuts in Libraries the Labour Groups Alternative Budget did not include any extra funds.
Isn't this a bit hypocritcal??
Geoffrey Robinson understands that with better financial management, there would be no need for the cuts in the Libraries budget.
But Labour found money for other issues, just not that one.
The Conservative controlled council has left the city's finances in a mess. Labour will not risk the financial stability of Coventry by promising huge spending increases.
If only the finances had been better managed in the first place, there would have been no need for the cuts.
Bally, your ranting is ridiculour. A large council tax rise? Do you live in Coventry? It was the lowest rise for 12 years, 2.7% and was below the rise in the state pension. Get your facts straight before ranting.
It seems to me that the Conservative controlled Council is still sorting out the mess left behind by Labour. How you can claim to be the party of "financial competence" I will never know.
Having worked with Bally to raise issues of concern for Whoberley residents, I have no doubt whatsoever that he would make a first-rate Councillor, and I would urge people to vote for him in the Council Elections in May.
At the last full meeting of Coventry City Council on Tuesday of last week, at Bally's referral, I asked the Cabinet Member for Finance whether it was correct that the annual rent for Allesley Park Community Association was to be increased from £1000 per year to £10,000 per year. He was not aware of this issue, and promised to get back to me. Iam still waiting!
Again, as a result of Bally's referral, I pressed the Cabinet Member for City Services as to when the terrible potholes in Brookside Avenue would be repaired, and received an undertaking that it would be done in the next 12 months!
Whoberley residents deserve a campaigning Councillor to represent them properley on the City Council, and in Bally Singh they would get just that!
Unfortunately, the last contribution to this debate reveals it to be from an anonymous contributor. In fact, it was from Councillor Phil Townshend, Labour Councillor for Lower Soke, and former Cabinet Member for Legal and Democratic Services, and City Services.And a former resident of Allesley Park!
Isn't he also the Cabinet Member who did not know how many roads he had????
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