News From Hillingdon Labour Group
Another Council Budget Delivered from An Arrogant, Incompetent and Greedy Conservative Cabinet
28th February 2008
Once again in Hillingdon we see that the Tory group in control of the borough are from the old school Tory party, rather than Cameron’s New-look conservatism. In Hillingdon they definitely believe in being the nasty party, so don’t be fooled by the sweet sugary coating of some of the Tories headline grabbing gimmicks.
When setting the budget the party in control of the council has to make difficult decisions and prioritise where your council tax money is spent. This is where we differ greatly from the current Conservative administration. The Labour group believe in providing good quality services and value for money for the council tax payer, and here are just a few areas where our priorities differ from that of the controlling Conservative administration:-
We Would; restore last year’s cuts to the Educational Psychology service and Healthy Hillingdon, as well as restore all cuts in school uniform grants, Increase the numbers of planning enforcement officers, provide additional in-house home care posts, invest in the noise service in order to work towards an eventual 24/7 provision, invest in the voluntary sector over 65’s support service for carers, remove the savings proposal to outsource minor planning applications, stop the proposed half million savings proposal on the review of residential and short breaks for severely disabled children, re-launch the Cwm Pennant Mountain Centre, strengthen the Hayes town centre safer neighbourhood team.
We would achieve this by removing the gimmicks and over indulgencies of this Conservative administration, in particular we would; remove the funding for the so called “low cost home ownership” scheme. This is nothing more than a gimmick and actually spends council tax payer’s money to do nothing for the borough’s homeless or to realistically make homes more affordable. The money used on this discredited scheme could be better spent making a real difference to housing needs rather than use council tax payers money to discount the price of a house that even with the discount will remain out of the reach of the vast majority of the local population. We would remove the extra £77000 that the Tories have added to the Mayor’s Budget (for extra secretarial support and running costs of the Mayoral car). The Labour group believes that if the council are imposing cuts in services then the Mayor should take the lead and at least live within her / His means, or perhaps find some savings to contribute to the budget.
After the budget meeting Cllr John Major, Labour’s lead on social services and the council’s carer’s champion, said that “the Labour proposals for the expansion of in-house home care, makes perfect sense because the council regularly receives high praise from inspection bodies, so it makes perfect sense to build on something that the council does well, it’s a pity that the Tory administration cannot see this and does not have home care as one of their priorities”. Cllr Major added the following comment with regard to the Labour proposal to assist the voluntary sector over 65’s carers, “The proposal to assist elderly, beleaguered carers via the voluntary sector is timely. The Council have inadvertently disadvantaged many of it’s over 65's carers by altering the rules under which this section of carers can receive assistance. This Labour proposal seeks to redress that mistake, once again it’s a pity that the Tory administration do not consider this a priority”
Referring to the education proposals, Cllr Peter Curling, Labour Lead on Education & Children’s Services expressed concern over the Tory proposals to make a £500k saving on the review of residential and short break provision for severely disabled children, Cllr Curling said “This is an item of real concern, not only for members of the Labour group, indeed the all party Education Policy Overview committee expressed their concerns as to how this proposed saving is to be made and what effects it will have for the families of the severely disabled children concerned”. Cllr Curling added, “Once again the Tory administration seem to have a very different set of priorities to us”.
Labour group Leader, Cllr Anthony Way said that “the budget tonight shows the conservative administration for what they are; they are indeed the nasty party of old. I think Cllr Puddifoot is trying to demonstrate his Thatcherite credentials by emulating Thatcher’s milk-snatching qualities with the abolition of the school uniform grant, we seem to have gone from milk-snatcher to uniform-snatcher.” Cllr Way also said that “the budget meeting showed the clear divide in priorities, with the Labour group’s proposals all geared towards improving outcomes for the residents of the borough, where as the Tory administration put the running of the Mayor’s car before the needs of some of the poorest in our borough, by abolishing the school uniform grant and then increasing the Mayor’s car budget by a similar amount. It is no wonder that the council has been named and shamed as one of the worst 13 authorities in England.”
Labour & Lib Dems Walk Out of Tory Political Speech
21st January 2008
Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors walked out of the Council Chamber at the Council meeting on 17 January during member’s question time.
This part of the Council agenda gives councillors the opportunity to put questions of local concern and interest to Cabinet Members who are responsible for making decisions. It enables ward councillors to hold Cabinet Members to account and provide information for residents and businesses. Although councillors can ask Cabinet Members questions and receive an answer there is no opportunity to speak, debate or challenge anything that is said.
In recent months it has been used by some members of the Conservative Party as a platform to make self-congratulatory party political speeches rather than answer issues of concern to local residents and businesses and sometimes in a manner, which many have found offensive. This happened when Councillor Douglas Mills rose to give unqualified congratulations to his party on service improvements in the Council Chamber last Thursday. On behalf of many residents and businesses who have not experienced unqualified satisfaction with Council services Labour and Liberal democrat councillors walked out.
Labour Group leader Cllr Anthony Way, said after the meeting
“The well of democracy has been poisoned by the party political broadcast we witnessed tonight with no time limit or right of reply. To use members question time in this way is an arrogant abuse of a democratic process and shows how little respect the ruling Conservative Group has for this process and the people it serves. It seems they wish to use democracy for their own party political purposes rather than to benefit the residents and businesses of Hillingdon”
Labour Calls for wage freeze as Tories prepare
for massive wage hike
18th March 2007
The Tories in Hillingdon are proposing 60-70% massive wage increases for themselves.
Cllr Anthony Way, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “The Tories rejected our budget proposals calling for a freeze on members allowances. How can they justify these enormous increases while at the same time they are;
• Closing and selling off youth facilities at Cwm Pennant
• Cutting the school uniform grant
• Cuts to the education psychology service
• Cutting grants to healthy Hillingdon
• Cancelling core grant to Hillingdon Race Equality Council
• Cutting core grant to the Law Centre
• Closing Southlands Arts Centre
• Cutting Hillingdon Narrowboats
• No Planning enforcement officers
• No increases to Voluntary Sector organisations
• Added an extra 1% surcharge to the council tax
The Leader of the Council is proposing to increase his salary from £41k to £61k.
The Deputy Leader from 35k to 44k Cabinet Members from £29 to £44k, whilst the items listed in the labour budget amendments could all have been saved at no extra costs by freezing allowances and some other bureaucracy saving measures. Its complete madness and proof that the Tories cannot be trusted with your money”
Labour Wants Answers on Adult Education
1st August 2006
Following the press reports regarding information that came out of recent Employment Tribunals, the Hillingdon Labour group has raised some questions in order to clarify, what seems to be conflicting and contradictory information.
From the evidence given to the Employment Tribunals it would appear that the funding from the Learning and Skills Council increased for the academic year 2005/2006, but courses were cut and staff had their teaching hours cut, many of them to “Zero”. This included cuts of up to 63% in priority areas that are 100% funded by the government and therefore provided at no cost to the Council. During the same academic year one of the Adult Education managers employed her son to carry out assessments of learners, even though he was inexperienced and did not have any teaching qualifications. This begs the question, why was this work not offered to long serving, highly qualified and experienced staff.
Cllr Peter Curling, Labour’s Lead on Education, said “The tribunals seem to have generated some very contradictory information. I have therefore raised some questions with the Director of Education in order to clarify the facts.”
Labour Group Leader, Cllr Anthony Way, added “Hillingdon council took a backward step when Tory Councillors tore up the constitution and gave themselves a lot more power. There are few opportunities to grill those responsible since rights to speak at Cabinet meetings for party leaders were abolished. It is particularly concerning that someone can employ her unqualified and inexperienced son to carry out learner assessments, while experienced and qualified staff, have their hours reduced to zero. I am calling for a full public investigation into this matter”.
Hillingdon Labour Group believes that the Adult Education service plays a vital part in the Education system, which should offer the widest range of courses possible by the most efficient management of budgets, course fees and LSC funding. We also believe that both learners and hard working dedicated staff deserve some explanation and clarification amid such contradictory information.
Caring Conservatism runs aground in Hillingdon
27th June 2006
Hillingdon’s new Conservative administration has run aground on its maiden voyage, only weeks after taking control with a massive majority. A proposal to re-brand the councils image and deliver a new corporate identity passed at a Cabinet meeting was “called in” by the Councils Executive Scrutiny Committee.
The committee with a majority of Conservative councillors reflecting their overall control unanimously voted to refer the Cabinet decision back as ill conceived and poorly thought out.
The Executive Scrutiny Committee chair, Cllr Anthony Way, Labour Leader of the opposition at Hillingdon, said “ Four Conservative and two Labour Councillors unanimously agreed that this decision was wrong for Hillingdon. The costs to replace the logo, of £210,000 are grossly under estimated and come at a time when the Council proposes 130 job redundancies and around £10 m of budget reductions“
But what is far more sinister is the Council Leader Ray Puddifoot’s alleged attempt whilst on holiday in Bali, to “strong arm “ his 45 strong group into submission. In a memo leaked to the Local Gazette, he is quoted as instructing his colleagues, “ Under no circumstances is this to be deferred. The council will no longer be subject to this type of delay. NO IFS OR BUTS just get this done. I will expect the resignation of any member of Cabinet not wishing to be part of this new way forward for Hillingdon. Regards Ray. PS It’s clear that we have much to do to change the old ‘cannot change’ mind set of some in Hillingdon”
At its subsequent cabinet meeting on June 22nd the reference back from the scrutiny committee was rejected, with “Any comments from the public would be taken into consideration “
Cllr Way added “There is no support for this proposal amongst the people we are elected to serve and any Council staff . I have never witnessed such arrogance and aggression. Is this what David Cameron means by caring Conservatism?