So which party is best to run our council.

[Pete76]

Without revealing my political preference I'm interested to know how we can get a better council. I often think that who ever runs our council are doing a poor job.

Nationally I think that my political preference is often different to my local preference.

Anyone feel the same and does this expose issues with our political system.

I suppose running a council with such budget reductions isn't easy and then you have these ridiculous rules about having to spend a budget on anything otherwise next year there won't be one. Are the rules of running a council to blame.

By the way, im only speculating about how councils are run, I'm no expert so don't get your high horses correcting me.

[inky pete]

Party political manifestos and affiliations should be banned at local government level. It should be about electing a known and trusted local person to best represent the interests of their ward electorate in whatever situations arise.

 

That person should take DIRECT operational control of whatever portfolio of services they take on - and should be held ACCOUNTABLE for any failings in those departments.

 

In return they should be paid a decent full-time salary for the work that they do, and as such should be barred from holding any other jobs or offices.

 

Such a system would even work out CHEAPER than our current one of having both councillors on expenses and allowance as well as face-less heads of departments receiving stupid salaries, huge redundancy pay-offs when they screw up, and gold plated pensions regardless of performance.

[observer]

That could limit the number of local politicians to about 12 - and we wouldn't notice any difference, other than it might be cheaper!

[Gary]

I don't think any party is the best to run our council - what would be best is that if all the councillors elected to represent the people in their respective wards, all worked together for the good of our town - and put their political differences to one side.

Too much eneregy is wasted attempting to score cheap political points.

Actions speak louder than words!

Here endeth the lesson.

[Dizzy]

Very well said Gary !!!  I agree 100%

[inky pete]

An interesting alternative would be to abolish the "democratic" local council structure altogether and have one (or more) local services corporations. (We even used to call the council, The Corporation didn't we!)

 

All council tax payers would be shareholders, would be able to vote on policy directions and top employee remuneration packages at an AGM, and could become non-executive directors on the Corporation board. Multiple Corporations in a given area could even compete for customers on price and service level, allowing individual council tax payers to CHOOSE - for example - how many wheelie bins they want to have to deal with and how frequently they are emptied.

[algy]

I don't think any party is the best to run our council - what would be best is that if all the councillors elected to represent the people in their respective wards, all worked together for the good of our town - and put their political differences to one side.

Too much eneregy is wasted attempting to score cheap political points.

Actions speak louder than words!

Here endeth the lesson.

I also think that would work for the nation, Gary.

[observer]

I was with you up to "abolish - democratic" Inky. I've recently had to deal with matters relating to the NHS, Housing and Social Services for my Dad; and it appears that pseudo-privatisation has created a confusion of piece meal silos, with left hand not knowing what right hand is doing. Much better imo. if "the Council" coordinated these services, so we had one point of application/entry control. As for the politicians. I believe we have the highest number of politicians per capita in the world; so a 90% cut wouldn't go amiss; after all, only around 10% of 'em actually control things anyway. So a 12 person Exec Board could be elected to run things locally.

[inky pete]

Trouble is, our democratically elected councillors don't actually take responsibility for anything.

 

All real decisions are taken by unaccountable, and most often unidentifiable, functionaries within departments whilst heads of department and the politicians make themselves too busy with "strategic reviews", "senior leadership programmes" and "policy directions" to involve themselves with such mundane tasks as actually ensuring that services are delivered and council tax payers money is spent wisely.

 

So what use are they?

[Pete76]

I agree with a lot of the views here, politicians are useless locally and pretty much nationally, but needs must. The elected councilers need to be held more accountable and everything that they do should be run past some sort of local voluntary alliance and made very public.

It's a nightmare, I want a new political movement, and I want it to be called the Common sense party!

[Pete76]

I think as soon as you start giving anyone a perch and the power to spend large amounts, they lose sight of common sense and who those decisions affect.

On the other hand if voluntary commities are involved then that can end up with dead end discussions and people with chips on their shoulder just trying to mess it up for their own game.

[Gary]

I agree with a lot of the views here, politicians are useless locally and pretty much nationally, but needs must. The elected councilers need to be held more accountable and everything that they do should be run past some sort of local voluntary alliance and made very public.

It's a nightmare, I want a new political movement, and I want it to be called the Common sense party!

I've been campaigning for common sense for years!

[wolfie]

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, as his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn’t always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

He declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Paracetamol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

He began to lose the will to live as churches became businesses; creationism vied for equal footing with proper science, alternative treatments became available on the NHS (while cancer drugs were banned) and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

The poor bloke took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

He finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Barely recovering from that he was bludgeoned to death by the news that the world's financial markets had been demolished by irresponsible bankers who made a fortune doing so and who the governments bailed out by demanding money from those wise enough to have adopted sensible fiscal policies.

This grand old man was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by four stepbrothers; "I Know My Rights," "Someone Else's Problem," "I’m A Victim" and "Work? I'm better off on the Dole," and his stepsisters; "Gymslip Mother" and "I'll have a baby and they'll give me a house."

Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not join the majority and do nothing.

[Dizzy]

Good one Wolfie  !

[Pete76]

Well put. Was it a cremation. Makes more sense than Digging a hole.

[Lt Kije]

I just wish councillors got elected on local issues, instead of national ones, when their is a local election people tend to punish the party of government rather than look at local issues, Are we the voters to blame or the National parties?

[observer]

Would we recognise the "local issues"?  Would we think them important enough, and do we think any of the Parties locally can overcome the constraints of national Gov or of Brussels? Finally, would it stop folk voting along their usual tribal lines?

[Peter T]

Most people don't have a clue about local politics/council. They pay their rates and that's it. Unless you are on a Forum or belong to a Community Association you would be unaware of the waste and cock-ups that emanate from the Town Hall/New Town House. It would be interesting to know how many people go to their councillors surgeries.

[observer]

Ask Geoff!  

[Lt Kije]

How many people came to your rallies Obs?

[observer]

Cycling?! Talk to Rod!

[Bazj]

I still say that at the next election, everyone should vote AGAINST their sitting councillor..... forget party politics and vote every one of the current complacent lot out..... get a new breed in and then do the same to them in 4 years time.

 

We need radical change in this town because the whole place is grinding to a halt; fuelled by crazy traffic management and ridiculous demands for business rates from town centre shops which is killing the high street....

[observer]

Think you can forget the "high street" Baz;  G/Square, S/Markets, and the internet, have seen to that.  As for traffic, just too many people with too many cars in a confined space. So changing the guard at the T/Halls won't make any difference - might be easier and cheaper just to make them redundant!

[Peter T]

Think you can forget the "high street" Baz;  G/Square, S/Markets, and the internet, have seen to that.  As for traffic, just too many people with too many cars in a confined space. So changing the guard at the T/Halls won't make any difference - might be easier and cheaper just to make them redundant!

 

Not taken you long to change your tune.

[observer]

Might help if you knew what my tune was!