Making a difference to the people of Medway

Deputy Leader Alan Jarrett: For efficiency savings, read job losses

Article posted on Friday, 18 December 2009

So another pre-budget statement has come and gone, and most of us are going to be worse off again.

National Insurance is going up again, but there are a host of other measures that will see people suffering financially as never before. Everything points to a bleak 2010.

If you happen to work in the public sector - councils etc. - then a cap on pay increases is just the tip of the iceberg. If you work in the private sector then the parlous state of the economy will ensure you will be lucky to get a pay rise at all.

In 2010 you will be lucky to keep your job as such scarcely noticed rises such as a 2.5 per cent increase in VAT take their toll.

The pre-budget statement professes to protect heath and education spending, but also takes money away from residential care and concessionary bus fares.

These last two are already a huge drain on council budgets, so expect things to get worse.

The real threat to jobs lies hidden by 'efficiency' savings that the government expect us to make. This has the potential to threaten council services, so for efficiency read job losses.

There are two ways that local councils can make significant savings; shed staff and reduce the number of properties being owned and occupied.

Both can cause problems, and it takes great care to carry out this kind of rationalisation without damaging services.

One thing the Chancellor did nothing to tackle was the inequality in financial settlements.

Once again Medway is being robbed of over £4 million in its financial settlement, and it does not take a genius to realise what could be done with that money locally.

Whilst Medway continue to levy one of the lowest council taxes in the whole country - £1,065 versus the England average of £1,175 - it continues to receive one of the lowest settlements in the country. Does that make sense? Not to me!

The latest government inspection regime shows that Medway is performing well. We have no red flags - an indictment of poor service delivery.

How is it that most red flags are in the north of the country, when most of the government money is also going to the north? Perhaps they need to be more 'efficient' up north!

Merry Christmas.