Forum Topic

Alright for some

The headline figure is "zero increase in council tax". So far so good. However, the costs in terms of service cuts include: 50% increase in day care charges to the elderlyA new £2 daily charge to disabled people attending day centresIncreases in school meals and meals on wheels chargesA 33% increase in parking permit charges in Isleworth and HounslowScrapping of the Community Teachers who provide support to families at Ivybridge, Green Dragon and elsewhereScrapping of support services to private tenantsAnd much more!This is not so good, and follows the many years of cuts to frontline services caused by both Conservative and Labour governments reducing funding to local councils.So, will everyone share the pain? Not quite! Hidden away in the budget is £400,000 set aside to fund pay increases to Chief Officers (some already on £100,000+ per annum) and to enable the Leader and other leading members to give themselves a massive increase in allowances. So, residents will be receiving fewer, more expensive services than last year. In return the Fat Cats will be paid more for delivering less. Hurray for the gravy train!

John Connelly ● 6662d18 Comments

JohnThis is a cowardly attack on somebody whom you know is unable to respond to you, and this is unworthy of you.  Doubtless if he were to defend himself against your unprovoked onslaught your next action would be to lodge a complaint that he had behaved politically.  I regret to have to inform you that he is far too smart to walk into that one.Only recently Andy sought advice from the Borough Solicitor as to precisely what he is and is not at liberty to do as a Political Assistant employed by the local authority.  Where there is any doubt he invariably errs on the side of caution.This is unlike the lady who served under you as Labour Group PA and quite openly canvassed, leafleted and acted as a teller on polling days.  Andy has been advised that he cannot do any of those things.  In the light of this advice we will be looking for consistency and making the appropriate representations if it isn't forthcoming.As for the Chief Executive, I have never even mentioned or expressed an opinion of any kind on his salary, so quite why you feel the need to grill me over that particular issue is a mystery to me.John, your most recent postings have an air of bitterness about them and most of your invective appears to be coming in the ICG's direction.  I am a loss to understand your reasons for this - we did, if you recall, support your bid to be included in the new Executive.  It is true that we were not prepared to make it into a walking-out issue, because we had a mandate from our electorate to force certain changes which we could not have brought about in opposition.  Nevertheless I don't feel we have done anything to warrant this perpetual and targetted sniping, unless you believe (possibly with justification) that my willingness to come onto the forums and engage in debate leaves me vulnerable to being "caught out" by anybody with an agenda or a political point to score.I honestly feel you are letting yourself down.  You are skilful in debate and are at your most effective when you are considered and rational.

Phil Andrews ● 6658d

As someone who can confirm as fact that no one from Vanessa's "party" is in any senior position at Hounslow, a question I would like to ask Councillor Andrews is whether he has tried to constrain his Council Taxpayer paid employee who seems unable to understand the meaning of a "politically restricted post"?Incidentally, the now well rewarded Chief Executive at Kensington and Chelsea was appointed a few years ago on an inferior salary to that given to his successor, Hounslow's current Chief Executive. Perhaps Councillor Andrews could explain to us why the current postholder should be paid even more than the current £100,000+++++ already received?

John Connelly ● 6659d

I believe that Derek Myers is at Kensington & Chelsea, which is of course a world apart from Hounslow when it comes to anything to do with money.  But I would agree, for the Chief Executive of a local authority to earn more than the Prime Minister is absurd.

Phil Andrews ● 6659d

It just becomes a sort of "bidding war" constantly upping the dosh, see today's Mirror - with some Chief Execs. earning more than the P.M.- one of them Derek Myers our last C.E.! Having had the opportunity to work with several I can only say good ones are few and far between, the rest are barely average.

Vanessa Smith ● 6659d

"I have never accepted the mythology that salary rates for Chief Officers have to be massively increased to attract the 'right' people. "Val - I entirely agree with you!Andrew

Andrew Dakers ● 6659d

Council Officers are NOT civil servants. Civil servants work for central Government and are in fact Crown employees. If you work for a council you are a local government employee/officer.

Vanessa Smith ● 6660d

MikeA person's private political views or affiliations are their own business and the only concern I would have over an officer having such an allegiance would be if he/she allowed it to affect their judgement or performance at work.I know of several officers of the council who are members of the Labour Party and the majority of them have not allowed it to affect their professional relationship with me.  However, a minority have certainly made their hostility clear and this in my view is not acceptable.  One in particular has on more than one occasion publicly submitted me to verbal abuse when "off duty".One recent "sort of" employee of the council made it perfectly obvious that he neither wished nor intended to recognise the new democratically elected administration and, having tried and failed to declare UDI for his part of the council's operation, has now done the decent thing and found employment elsewhere working for a Labour council.Although very senior officers of local authorities are prevented by statute from engaging in open political activity there are those who do, and indeed a former Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hounslow actually attended ward meetings of the Labour Party in Isleworth North.  I know this because I had a personal friend in that party who found the whole thing rather amusing.Like I say, a person's politics are his or her own affair.  Concern only arises because of the way that New Labour does business in general.  If I was in the running for a job at a Labour-controlled council and one of my rivals for the post held a Labour Party membership card I would not be confident of getting it.

Phil Andrews ● 6660d

What did they expect, recruiting from the civil service?

Colin Murphy ● 6660d

"Who ever it is, you can bet your bottom dollar that he/she will be a member of your party."Which of the senior civil servants in the borough are members of the Labour party?

Mike Hardacre ● 6660d

I think not.

Vanessa Smith ● 6660d

"I really would like to know who Ruth thinks is that bloody wonderful in Hounslow......."Who ever it is, you can bet your bottom dollar that he/she will be a member of your party.

Phil Andrews ● 6661d

I quite agree with you Val, there is a myth about these people and some very cautionary tales too! I remember Lambeth Council headhunting a woman who was a senior civil servant who headed up the department I had the misfortune to work for. She was worse than useless as the Chief Exec. when we had her - resembling a bag lady who frequented Kings Cross most of the time and being a total prat. So she went to Lambeth and oh! how they wish she hadn't - she caused so many problems they had to pay her off and give a a pension of £90,000 a year plus pay in lieu of notice.In my experience exceptional Chief Officers are few and far between and many of them get good references because someone wants to get rid of them. Like footballers they ain't worth what they're paid. I really would like to know who Ruth thinks is that bloody wonderful in Hounslow.......

Vanessa Smith ● 6661d

Andrew, the £400,000 has been put in the budget to cover pay increases for senior staff and senior members. My understanding is that Chief Officers who have recently been appointed are on higher pay than their existing colleagues and that there is a general expectation that the others' pay will be raised to the same levels. As to member allowances, there is a review underway and I believe the new Executive is already preparing to embark on a spending spree financed at the expense of our services.Clearly, pensioners who receive full council tax relief will be unaffected by the budget. However, if you are a car owner your permit in Central Hounslow will rise from £45 to £60 per year. Car parks that you paid 60p an hour for last year will cost £1 from 1st April, meals on wheels will cost more, and if you are attending a Day Centre the charge will rise from £1 to £2 a visit. How CIP will deal with the £200,000 cut in leisure funding is yet unknown.Incidentally, I understand cremation and burial charges are also rising by well above the rate of inflation, so those unlucky enough to die are even more likely to end up in a pauper's grave than before!

John Connelly ● 6661d

I have never accepted the mythology that salary rates for Chief Officers have to be massively increased to attract the 'right' people.Obviously you can't pay peanuts, on  the other hand I can't see the justification for any rise above inflation for Chief Officers.It would be interesting to know what, within this £400,000 budget item, is the proposed increase.

Valerie Lamey ● 6661d

JohnCan I ask, just how pensioners (I am one) fit into the equation with any of the parties concerned? I was daft enough to have worked for almost 50 years, serving one company for thirty years, and paid in for a small private pension. I pay full rent, council tax, and utilities with no help whatsoever. I have been retired now for 5 years and my savings is going down fast, and we are expected to fund these increases for the fat cats! Do you know if in fact the increases you refer to have been agreed?

w John Michael Atkinson ● 6661d

John - sometimes you talk sense, and sometimes you don't. I don't like the way that senior public sector salaries have risen so fast away from average salaries, any more than you do. But, I have to accept the Council is in the market for employing the right people for the job, and won't be able do that by sticking its neck in the sand.  There could, however, be other ways of dealing with that £400,000 growth item - so we should discuss it.

Ruth Cadbury ● 6662d

Vanessa - my thread on the Cuts on the Chiswick forum started yesterday morning, had a few virulent anti-any-tax responses, no discussion of any of the issues, and had drifted to page 2 by about 6pm - behind requests for nannies, oven cleaning and restarant recommendations.  Depressing.

Ruth Cadbury ● 6662d

No change there then. I wouldn't like to be in their collective shoes when Chiswick realises what's gone on.......

Vanessa Smith ● 6662d