To think Councils going bust are not all at fault?

[Turmerictolly]

Another council (Birmingham) declaring bankruptcy/severe financial difficulties. Yes, there has been some financial mismanagement but decades of austerity and squeeze from a Tory government haven't helped. I have connections to Birmingham and feel sorry for the sorry state it's in - the streets are filthy and depressing in a lot of areas.

Perhaps less spending on things like rainbow crossings? ... Or changing road names to virtue signal?

But they LIKE things like this, Hermione; just think of the endless opportunities for committee meetings, bringing in every buzz phrase possible, to say nothing of the "targets" it could generate to wrap everyone else up in form filling - plus of course the non-job opportunities which dealing with all the forms could create

It's said that allegedly cash strapped councils will only be able to deliver statutory provision, but sometimes I wonder what exactly is wrong with that if it prevents vanity projects and mindless interference in issues which are frankly none of the council's business

Yes I was pondering what was included in statutory and whether it’s so bad to get rid of these things

Not sure exactly what falls outside it though

Here you go, StefanosHill; there are other duties of course, but the key ones are here: lordslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/lln-2019-0006/#:~:text=Local%20authorities%20in%20England%20have,road%20maintenance%3B%20and%20library%20services.

It's the "discretionary provision" which worries me though, where they're granted the power to meddle in things withhout any actual obligation to do so - and by heck is that power abused

And for anyone who's gone cross-eyed at the prospect of yet another government document, those key mandatory provisions are extracted here:

Education services
Children’s and adults’ social care
Waste collection
Public health services
Planning and housing services
Road maintenance
Library services.

Can I congratulate Birmingham City Council on the ultimate achievement in equality and diversity. No matter what religion, race, sexuality or wealth, the citizens of Birmingham will all have to pay through the nose for the council's financial incompetence. The council is so out of touch I have no doubt they will celebrate this victory.

Son worked in Local Government, he was considered a hard worker, he could do a full week's work in half a day and spend four and a half days entertaining himself. There was nobody overseeing that work allocated was sufficient to fill the time. Daughter moved from private sector to LG. She was expected to do 5 processes an hour in private sector, it's four in a day if you don't want the line manager to question productivity. It's like a different planet, add to that generous salaries, enhanced pensions, generous annual leave, flexible working and sickness policy they have it made.

Libraries are a statutory service.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-libraries-as-a-statutory-service/libraries-as-a-statutory-service#:~:text=Library%20authorities%20(unitary%2C%20county%20or,the%20area%20(section%207).

Like many things, Birmingham is a victim of compo culture and calling in the lawyers to sort out problems.

Son worked in Local Government, he was considered a hard worker, he could do a full week's work in half a day

I had the same on the one and only occasion I worked directly for the council; it was as a PA to a social services director, and in a couple of days I'd cleared three weeks' worth of work which had built up since the last one left
So on the third day I suggested cuttting my own hours to two days, which was actually what I wanted and would of course save them money

The answer: "Ooooo no, all the other directors have a full time PA so I need to have one too"

I walked out ...

This made me (hollow) laugh.

I expect other councils will follow, Glasgow city centre urgently needs money spent on it, yet huge amounts of money has been spent by the inept council on cycle lanes that go nowhere and hardly used at all, we cheer if we see a cyclist and we don’t cheer often! The SNP council really led by the Green Party have designed it so you cannot drop off anyone by car to let them get near a train station in the city centre, how are disabled people meant to get near a train station?

Also changing all the signs to show Gaelic language on police cars and ambulances well I’m sure even the very few Gaelic speakers in the central belt can work that one out! Waste of public money once again.

It doesn't surprise me. Ds now works in the independent sector, an adjoining council put out their service to tender that the company works for secured. Pretty much an identical set up to our local one. The company allocate six hours a week to cover a whole department and the local authority save millions through outsourcing. Our LA holds on to the service knowing there are cheaper options and the company poach their competent staff after the LA have funded the professional qualifications necessary to the role.

So earning under £22K a year is overpaid as an administrator

Fuck me how much do you get on a low paid job

The good people of Woking, when asked prioritized as follows:

"It follows a public consultation that found residents most valued parks, safety and cleanliness, followed by access to pools and leisure services"

None of which are statutory, and all of which are going to be cut. Why bother asking.

Finally, people are waking up to the utter madness in the public sector where waste is endemic and incompetence is a way of life. In fact, incompetence is probably seen as a virtue.

Half of all spending in this country is done through government. Central or local. What do we get for this enormous spending. These woeful incompetent people have access to half of ALL the cash in this country. All our public services including councils are run by utter morons who are also massively corrupt.

The thing is, if you haven't stood outside your home, waiting for a fire engine, that won't cross your mind that is a service we all need to pay for.
If you don't have a child with significant SEND, who has no school place, is on a 3 year wait for a medical diagnosis and a 2 year wait for Speech and Language Therapy and has no chance of seeing an OT or a dietician and no chance of getting respite care, then that probably isn't on your radar.
If you have never been homeless, and being homed with your dc in a hostel with people who are drug users, and people with mental health issues, and then lived 4 to a single room with no adequate cooking facilities, then that probably isn't on your radar.

If you haven't been the victim of crime, and had to wait for months or years for the case to work its way through the judicial system, then that won't be on your radar.
If you haven't waited 7 hours for an ambulance, because all ambulance staff are tied up covering the lack of social care and the lack of mental health services the the paucity of funds going into either social care or mental health services probably isn't on your radar.
I can go on and on, but if you are asking people locked in their safe little enclave what money should be spent on, you have to be very clear what it won't be spent on, if it is being spent on parks and leisure centres.