Messages

We are investing huge, huge amounts in our railway system. To modernise it and make it fit for purpose.  Great project, but, as has been pointed out by colleagues abroad, abysmal project management skills.  Then, the latest debacle at BA, where all our armchair IT pundits know what went wrong.  Sure, things go wrong all the time, so the real IT skill was putting things right, hopefully before many even noticed.  Both skill sets, project management and IT systems are skills that we hope to sell abroad.  Along with our banking and financial skills. Mind, mind the latter is a bit difficult given the court cases pending.  If you were in another Country; is there anything at all you might want from us?

Glad you are still optimistic.  Where do we find competent people with integrity?  Let's be honest, not one of the Political Parties really welcomes policy input from the electorate; indeed it's discouraged.  If someone does actually break through with a new commercial concept what bank or finance house is going to provide finance, never mind support?  So, what's the real future outlook for UK?  Bleak and poor.  One thing is for sure, once the money we have from selling the farm has gone, there is no more.  So, if you think public services are bad now; they are likely to get worse.  So perhaps our politicians, particularly Tory and LibDem are right - letting down the spending air bed slowly. 

What's the point?  Nothing, absolutely nothing is going to change.  The punters are kept happy with spash pads and control towers and aren't going to vote out the local political coalition that keeps us in this mess. 

And then there are those who think the nation still has the collective intelligence and entrepreneurial skills and capability to stand in our own outside Europe.  Small wonder therefore that West Berks. voted to remain.

We can't even run a public lavatory!

Well, it's simply a further example demonstrating that local government is pointless.  Frankly, against the real problem here, this is a non issue.

Education has become a dustbin for money; the waste in the physical operation unbelievable.  We have thrown money at education for years, yet standards measured against international performance have simply declined - to a level where we have created generations of automotons; none capable of thought, let alone innovation.

Harsh that may be, but look at a classic educational solution. Feed primary school kids at lunchtime and performance over all will dramatically increase.  Thus went the Clegg flagship policy.  We spent millions nationwide doing this and it's been in operation for long enough to see results........no point in giving the answer is there?  But the free meals spending goes on.

No point in fighting the blob.

It's frankly beyond bizzare.  Like going to Tesco, paying the usual amount your weeks food shopping but only getting two tins of beans and a packet of tea bags.  Then finding whilst they have stopped selling everything but beans and tea and there are only two checkouts open, there are still the same number of managers and supervisors about.

Bizzare!  And from a Council that can't even run a public lavatory.

I wouldn't worry too much.  Local government is dead and the easiest way to demonstrate that, so the last rites can be said is to whip up a perfect storm.  Local Government today has degenerated into a very expensive way to deliver 'services'.  Our present political consensus sees delivery is best and very much cheaper via specalist standalone agencies.  Thus then achieves to aims of HMG; central control of all services and an easy route to eliminate the Barnett formula.  This would leave 'councils' of elected representatives, who would do no more than arbitrate in individual complaints and provide collated comment on local planning proposals. In reality, no more than Joe Average Councillor does today, but without the army of clerks.  As far as we, the paying public are concerned, delivery of service wouldn't change, save being the same nationwide, but it should become cheaper.  Centralised services would provide the demonstrable justification for abolishing the troublesome local community charges and absorbing them into the easier to collect and administer general taxation. 

Newbury isn't the only modern 'rotten borough' there is hardly a good one!  Look at some of the neighbours, Surrey pushing for 15% increase.  Oxfordshire  pushing for Unitary status (!) because it's so much better and less confusing. Unitary WBC pushing to unload to Parish Councils and to consolidate with other Unitaries, because Unitary isn't working properly. 

The unexpected Brexit vote means there is something else to concentrate on just now, but 18 months or so isn't such long time.

Our local councils hit the buffers a few years back.  It really doesn't matter which party is elected, LibDem or Conservative, nothing changes.  So, it's really our fault for voting for the same old faces every time.  Having said that, even if say Labour upped its game, or we had a few real independents, it is difficult to see what they could achieve.  Services are either contracted out or controlled by the government, so I suppose there isn't really anything anyone can do! 

I suppose it's our fault in wanting cheapness before everything.  These call menus simply keep the cost of wages rock bottom because only need people to do one thing. 

I agree, it's a worrying development.  The Council doesn't seem to be too good at managing the day to day work in these contracts no matter how good they seem at the start.  The same thing that's wrong with the Libraries so sags the report consultants recently did. It looks as if the Chief Executives are too busy with other things than basic supervision.

This is just crass stupidity.  What makes it even worse are that these Councils, along with the Government itself are Conservative controlled - the very people who have been shedding tears and wringing hands because of savage cuts to essential services.  We are now going to spend a substantial substantial sum of money to protect ourselves from a very few Hampshire householders who want to use the dump, simply because local officialdom can't sort out an admin. problem that a couple of old lags could sort in 10 minutes after a couple of pints in the local pub. 

I think you are quite right. It matters not what party is in power, it's the machine that's broke. Merging might help, but if we are to keep local government at all, the whole thing needs to be replaced.  Then we might get away from the present insanity of a large number of Councillors presiding over an ever decreasing responsibility.

If this latest debacle has shown anything it's the dire state of local government round here.  Apparently it takes 60 plus Councillors to run WBC which by any measure now has far less to do.  On top of that there are many Parish or if they have ideas above their station, Town Councils with even more Councillors and staff.  Where else would this lot survive?  No wonder both parties round here don't even consider change!

I've given up trying to work out what our local Councillors are doing.  Doubtless the lack of maintenance will be blamed on the austerity measures yet we seem to be flush enough to install a water game in Victoria Park. How long before lack of maintenance sinks that!

Perhaps 'greener' vehicles will come to the rescue. OK electric vehicles are still not totally viable, but is 'big oil' elbowing the safer hydrogen alternative?