Eighty people turned out for the Scrutiny Committee on 17th February, the last chance to challenge the impending cuts before the full budget meeting on Wednesday 23rd February. For a while it was standing room only until extra chairs were brought in and so the meeting started late.
Cllr Gartside and Finance Director Mike Owen gave the same presentation, with some updated figures, that they gave at the consultation on 1st February but this time aimed at a dozen councillors who were expected to scrutinise the budget. While the figures leading to the cuts were explained there was initially no discussion of what this meant to services – we didn’t need a Maths lesson, we wanted to know what’s being cut. There was virtually no documentation provided for the public who outnumbered councillors by six to one.
Bury Action Group supporters intervened to good effect in the Q&A session, and our contributions were warmly applauded. Adam Rose questioned the need for cuts at all when the government find money for their preferred projects and bankers get away scot free, and Judy Paskell picked up on Cllr Gartside’s claim to be acting in a socially responsible way by setting a balanced budget: ‘what’s socially responsible about getting rid of special needs school transport and school crossing patrols?’ Paul Gerrard attacked the plans to largely disband the youth service and warned that we would all pay the price in vandalism and anti-social behaviour. Tim Barton wondered how on earth getting rid of local area partnerships accorded with the government’s localism agenda and promises to protect ‘the front line’.
Other issues were raised by service users from the floor. A group of young people from Bury’s Youth Parliament, some in school uniform, protested at the closure of the youth service. Parents of special needs pupils spoke movingly about the loss of school transport and what it would mean for their families. One from Brandleshome explained that her daughter attended a specialist primary school. If she can’t travel to that school, will the school she does attend be funded for the hoist and other equipment needed? Everyone knew the answer to that one. Another parent who works full time and whose daughter attends a school with no pre- or after-school club asked: ‘How am I supposed to be a productive member of society?’ before breaking down in tears. Elderly residents of sheltered accommodation in Tottington and Prestwich expressed anxiety about press rumours their homes would close – scandalously they had to wait until after 9.30 to receive any kind of reassurance from the Council.
Consultation in the budget process has been farcical, and that was admitted by several councillors, including the Lib-Dem chair Cllr Baum. Astonishingly Cllr Gartside tried to claim at one point that the scrutiny committee was part of the consultative process! Yet no invitations had been issued, and nobody was asking us our views. Needless to say his answers were shallow and evasive, especially on school crossing patrols, as the chair pointed out. Cllr Boden, speaking from the floor, warned the Council of a possible legal challenge if cuts are made on the back of inadequate interaction with the public. This point was reinforced when it was revealed that key cabinet members were not even present on the night. Running through the meeting were allegations that council staff, in libraries, the youth service and elsewhere, were being gagged and threatened about speaking to the press. So much for open and transparent government.
Bury’s Tory administration will do exactly what their Westminster masters want them to do. The LibDems are keeping their cards close to their chests, but there are obvious strains in the local relationship with the Tories, and we are told to expect lots of amendments to the budget next week.
We are opposed to all their cuts and will fight all the way, including any cuts that are passed. Whatever happens next week we need to mobilise opposition. As Helen Andrews, Bury’s NUT secretary and National Executive member, put it: ‘we’re in for a long haul’. It’s clear that Bury Council only listen when you go to Bury and shout, so that’s what we must do next Wednesday. Bury Action Group commissioned a banner at last Monday’s meeting, in the hope we might get something for Thursday. Well, we got two banners! A massive thank you to Maggie Lea and to Tim Barton for their separate and contrasting products! So, if we’ve got two banners we need twice as many people in front of them!
Bury Town Hall, Wednesday 23rd February, 6.00 pm!!
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