ARE THERE ANY RED LINES FOR OUR GREEN COUNCIL ?
Peter Allen
Local councillors and councils across Britain are to all intents and purposes, trying to square the circle. Largely devoid of financial control over the size of their budget, in the hollowed out democracy in which we live, they are being required to make unpalatable indeed impossible decisions about where precisely they should make cuts that are being imposed on them by central government.
Green Councillors in Brighton and Hove, who took control of the council in May 2011 as a minority administration, were faced with a particularly unenviable task, taking over from a relatively low spending Tory administration and faced with a particularly unfavourable grant allocation by central government. Moreover they came to power on the basis of high hopes and expectations, as representatives of a party committed to fighting the cuts and defending public services.
Upon taking “power” the Green Council leadership must have been struck by the enormity of the challenge before them. Of course before being elected they would have already have had a fair idea of the difficulties they would face since B&H council, like those elsewhere, have had to function with inadequate and declining resources for years, whilst the consequences of the collapse of what Caroline Lucas has described as “turbo capitalism” have made more people more reliant on public services, including those provided by local councils.
Greens in Brighton broke with tradition by announcing their draft proposals in October, to allow proper consultation with local residents before finalising their budget. Although admirable in itself consultation was confined to the question of where cuts should be made. In common with many other councils local residents were invited to make use of on-line budget simulators to express a view as to where cuts should be made, with the requirement that the books be balanced. The budget that was finally passed, with the attempt by B&H Greens to slightly reduce the extent of the cuts for 2012/13 and in future years by increasing council tax undermined by an alliance of Labour and Tory councillors,resulted in savings approaching £20 million out of a budget of around £200 million.
Although the council leadership would have us believe that has been done without damaging essential front-line services the budget has included the following:
Brighton and Hove Greens are planning similar reductions next year (and presumably the year after) and have already announced these in their budget documents for the current year. They will also be required to implement further drastic cuts in housing benefit, which are likely to mean that many private sector tenants are evicted because of huge shortfalls in their benefit and many of the council’s own tenants fall into arrears because they have a spare room which they don’t need ( why should council tenants have the same rights to have people come and stay as owner occupiers !) and for which housing benefit will no longer be paid.
Council Tax collection,which Brighton Greens appear to have maintained a hardline approach to,( an 80 year old in the city having recently,and disgracefully been jailed for non payment), will be even harder next year as Council Tax Benefit "reform" means that even those in receipt of JSA and ESA will be required to make payments.
Having done my best to understand and digest the decisions made by B&H council, and the context in which those decisions were made, I was somewhat surprised to learn that Brighton and Hove Council, following a recent decision to increase charges by 5%, now makes the highest charges in the country for home care services. When interviewed about this on Radio 4 the lead member stated that “the money has to come from somewhere” Indeed it does and Green Party policy includes a commitment to free social care , paid for by increased taxation of the rich, clamping down on tax avoidance, slashing military expenditure etc etc.
Is there any point at which Brighton and Hove Green Councillors will say “enough is enough” (even at the cost of losing office ) stop implementing cuts in essential public services and instead seek to lead a fight against them ?
Peter Allen
Local councillors and councils across Britain are to all intents and purposes, trying to square the circle. Largely devoid of financial control over the size of their budget, in the hollowed out democracy in which we live, they are being required to make unpalatable indeed impossible decisions about where precisely they should make cuts that are being imposed on them by central government.
Green Councillors in Brighton and Hove, who took control of the council in May 2011 as a minority administration, were faced with a particularly unenviable task, taking over from a relatively low spending Tory administration and faced with a particularly unfavourable grant allocation by central government. Moreover they came to power on the basis of high hopes and expectations, as representatives of a party committed to fighting the cuts and defending public services.
Upon taking “power” the Green Council leadership must have been struck by the enormity of the challenge before them. Of course before being elected they would have already have had a fair idea of the difficulties they would face since B&H council, like those elsewhere, have had to function with inadequate and declining resources for years, whilst the consequences of the collapse of what Caroline Lucas has described as “turbo capitalism” have made more people more reliant on public services, including those provided by local councils.
Greens in Brighton broke with tradition by announcing their draft proposals in October, to allow proper consultation with local residents before finalising their budget. Although admirable in itself consultation was confined to the question of where cuts should be made. In common with many other councils local residents were invited to make use of on-line budget simulators to express a view as to where cuts should be made, with the requirement that the books be balanced. The budget that was finally passed, with the attempt by B&H Greens to slightly reduce the extent of the cuts for 2012/13 and in future years by increasing council tax undermined by an alliance of Labour and Tory councillors,resulted in savings approaching £20 million out of a budget of around £200 million.
Although the council leadership would have us believe that has been done without damaging essential front-line services the budget has included the following:
- Changes to the contracts with private contractors who provide home care on behalf of the council. No longer allowing the travel time of care staff to be included in the cost of the contract this reduction in payment is likely to be passed on to the low paid workers and to impact on what is likely to become an even more ”rushed” visit to a vulnerable person.
- Reductions in the subsidising of essential bus services
- Reductions in advice service provision at a time when advice is needed more than ever.
- Above average increases in council housing rents (in line with central government recommendations and in spite of a large surplus on the housing revenue account following changes to funding arrangements).
Brighton and Hove Greens are planning similar reductions next year (and presumably the year after) and have already announced these in their budget documents for the current year. They will also be required to implement further drastic cuts in housing benefit, which are likely to mean that many private sector tenants are evicted because of huge shortfalls in their benefit and many of the council’s own tenants fall into arrears because they have a spare room which they don’t need ( why should council tenants have the same rights to have people come and stay as owner occupiers !) and for which housing benefit will no longer be paid.
Council Tax collection,which Brighton Greens appear to have maintained a hardline approach to,( an 80 year old in the city having recently,and disgracefully been jailed for non payment), will be even harder next year as Council Tax Benefit "reform" means that even those in receipt of JSA and ESA will be required to make payments.
Having done my best to understand and digest the decisions made by B&H council, and the context in which those decisions were made, I was somewhat surprised to learn that Brighton and Hove Council, following a recent decision to increase charges by 5%, now makes the highest charges in the country for home care services. When interviewed about this on Radio 4 the lead member stated that “the money has to come from somewhere” Indeed it does and Green Party policy includes a commitment to free social care , paid for by increased taxation of the rich, clamping down on tax avoidance, slashing military expenditure etc etc.
Is there any point at which Brighton and Hove Green Councillors will say “enough is enough” (even at the cost of losing office ) stop implementing cuts in essential public services and instead seek to lead a fight against them ?
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