Public Money wasted by Tories

The £1.8m overspend on botched bus station; and Tories not accepting blame...

The £1.2m overspend on bridge to nowhere; and Tories blaming each other

Tory overspends on these two projects alone: £3m of Council Tax payers money

I thought these two news items neatly juxtapose the current position of the Conservative Administration in Gun Wharf.

They simply can not be trusted with our money.

Meanwhile in the rest of Medway we all have to suffer with potholes and poor road quality

That is all

A £14m Bridge too far

£14m cost of one bridge v pot-holed streets across Medway

It is particularly galling to read on today's paper Tories jumping over themselves to distance from the £14m Stoke Crossing 'Bridge too far' which is due to open in less then a week, if the press is to be believed.

A bridge which Tory portfolio holders have been happy to support and propose and which, up until now, has received little to no comment from local Tory-dominated local Parishes, despite the £1.2m overspend

We all hope the opening ceremony will bode better then that of its similarly over-budget bus station in Chatham, which was incomplete and 'unsafe' according to one leading Conservative Cabinet member.

What this blog particularly notes is the way Tories will play to the readership; of course it was the Medway Tory Group who led the political leadership behind this project and presumably kept an ever 'unwatchful' eye on the financial control from Gun Wharf. It was a £14m project which also happened to be built in a ward with a Tory Portfolio holder responsible for roads at a time we can see, or at least I believe, gerrymandering of funding into Conservative wards for residential roads is ongoing.

The opposition needs to be a lot more aggressive about highlighting these types of programmes outside of the inner wards of Medway; irrespective of location this £14m could have funded almost half of all new road-resurfacing in residential Medway, if we are to believe the figures from John Woodcock MP, who challenged our Council last year on this documented incompetence. In short; it’s a damn lot of money not to have an opinion on; and a very loud opinion at that.

The fact we also have it £1.2m over budget on a spend of £14m, is in itself, an egregious waste of public money, and is simply not justifiable at a time of austerity when residents expect tax-payers money to be spent efficiently.

Voters in the South respond to strong leadership and economic credibility; neither and you loose. Highlighting poor project management goes to the heart of leadership and credibility to those in the private-sector who left Labour in droves in 2010, but are not certain that Cameron has the grounded ability to lead from the centre. Tories locally are exposed, and will continue to be exposed, because they simply haven’t grasped that it is a lack of financial control and resource in the finance office that is the problem.

The opposition has no levers to make decisions, no executive powers nor any responsibilities of office. We have the power of words and the pulpit of public opinion, and more importantly the perception of public opinion which added together paints a narrative. The maintenance of narrative is more important then the sum of its contained parts; highlighting Tory incompetence on spending is a narrative because its true, but also because Labour Councillor’s have had the leadership to stand up and speak up; loudly and often. Chatham bus station, Care Homes, Schools etc etc…

The article on Stoke highlighted a blue-on-blue story; with one Tory taking the local credit for a short attack on what was a decision made by colleagues in Gun Wharf; making a very salient point that spending of £14m on an infrequently used crossing may or could not have been the best use of public resource. Of course this may come back to bite in years hence, but by that stage the public awareness of this issue will be so reduced to nullify an article. It will matter zilch to the average voter.

Sometimes making a stand and putting your head above the parapet is the right thing to do; clearly a number of Tories made a call to do so; and as it is we get a blue-on-blue story with local Tories benefiting from attacking their own Council colleagues. A net zero sum game for a poor news item which if you look at the letter columns has, as is to be expected, generated public interest.

A party of opposition needs to oppose on important issues; locally Labour is stepping up to the mark and we have seen the fruits of this work; compare and contrast with the Lib Dems and Greens over the last 12 months. Lib Dems have led on possibly one issue; the opposition to City Status, and even that has been poorly managed. No one can now position Labour as nothing but the only realistic and credible opposition in Medway, but much much more is to be done. The project to improve has a long way to go.

Tories are very happy to play both sides of the debate; Labour needs to ensure its voice is in every and all debates for our community. It is clear that whilst so much has been achieved there is more to be done and as an opposition Councillor I will be playing my part with colleagues and future Council candidates to ensure it does.

Labour is the only voice of opposition to the incompetent Tories. We can never drop this ball.

Bonkers Budget adds up to cuts

He may be smiling... but you definately wont be...

Have just had a quick look at the budget figures and they are bleak and depressing. It is clear that the chancer Cllr Jarrett and his Tories have utterly mismanaged the finances for 2011/12 and have presented a bonkers budget for 2012/13 that simply doesnt add up.

In many other authorities across the UK the ruling group (whether Tory, Lib Dem , Labour or NOC) have actively consulted the public in open forums. Our administration has been desperate to keep the budget process hidden from public view; and we now know why.

There are many Councils controlled by Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats who have successfully managed the finances. This is not a partisan point; this is the incompetence of our current Conservatives in Medway.

The budget is a bloody mess

We have eye-watering shortfalls and cuts within caused ostensibly because the Council is spending too much.

In addition this is another budget which is very likely to fall apart and result in a budget, like this years, which will require a Tory raid on our capital reserves. An unsustainable position for the future.

This blog has reported on countless botched projects and overspends over the last 12 months at schools, bus stations, transport schemes and beyond. Not helped by the fact that Medway Tories oversee one of the mose fraudulant authorities in the country. They have simply lost control; all analysis points to a lack of political control.

Residents across Medway will likely feel that the Tories were elected on the basis of false promises following the publication of this bonkers budget.

Cuts to front line services are happening and will get even worse.

The draft proposals, which will be debated at the next Full Council meeting on 23rd February, show dramatic cuts to adult social care budgets, including ‘Supporting People’ funding which is targeted at the most vulnerable in society, including those with mental health issues and victims of domestic violence.

The budget also presumes that the closure of the Balfour Centre will go ahead, precluding the outcome of the consultation – but also offering another stark contrast to the Conservative election pledge of “Continuing to improve front line services such as care homes”.Likewise Sure Start centres, which give invaluable support to families across Medway, were a key source of debate during the election.

The Tories claimed Medway’s Sure Start centres were ‘safe’ with them and would not see funding reduced – yet they are now highlighted as a target for budget reductions.

The good news items are directly lifted either from our manifesto or are a result of the previous Labour administration in Medway

Good News items

Freeze in Council Tax - This was proposed by Medway Labour at the budget last year and it was copied by the Conservatives in the local election manifesto. We have led on this locally.

Lowest Council Tax in Kent - This is the lowest tax in Kent because under the last Labour Council we scrapped an entire tier of local government from the majority of Medway. Whilst Tory Kent has a district and County system we have a single layer of governance. The fact the Tories have maintained our record was due to tax rate capping by John Prescott and under Eric Pickles.

Bad News items (which stand out for me) on revenue and tax wheezes by the Conservatives

• Tory bulky waste tax to be introduced – we will see second charges for collections at£17.50 per collection
• Park and Ride – disposal of popular park and ride at Horsted
• Roads / Potholes – Road Maintenance (re-surfacing and potholes) budget reduced by £250,000
• Crematorium 'income' will increase

Of course the real bad news is in the small print which I and others will be going over with a fine tooth pick over the next couple of days.

Waste not, want not

It seems that in the ether of the 11+ fiasco a worse scandal of gross incompetence is brewing.

The Tories have made attempts since 2003 of claiming that they are the best stewards of local services.

In 2007, the Tories were actively considering the introduction of fortnightly bin collections which has been rolled-out across the country in Conservative-controlled boroughs.

From schools, old people care to bin collection it all seems to be falling apart.

This time is is the move towards the removal of plastic sacks which was lauded by the Tory Council in 2009.

In the 'Waste' press statement in 2009 the Tories stated

"The new waste contract also proposes to give residents the option of choosing a wheelie bin so that the Council can offer householders a flexible service which caters to their needs. If residents choose to continue using black sacks they can".

The move towards full scale roll-out of wheelie bins was then subsequently cut in the April 2011 budget, whilst the 'blow-away' straw sacks have turned out to be a failure so requiring additional expenditure to retain clear sacks.

A 'wheelie' good idea? Not under the Tories!

City Status suffers arrogant set back

It seems that Councillor Jarrett, the chancer of the Medway Conservatives is once again, for the enth time in 6 months, about to land them in hot water.

This blog is aware that the Advertising Standard's Agency is about to rule against the Medway Conservatives on the issue of City Status.

The ASA is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media, including marketing on websites. They work to ensure ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful by applying the Advertising Codes. They are non-partisan.

So what is this all about? Readers may be aware that the Tories rebranded the Council in 2010, in what was considered a grave insult to Her Majesty the Queen, and tried to confer city status to themselves.

The Council claimed it was only a small rebranding but the new 'city' logo appeared on bins and other items before it was picked up by concerned members of the community.

When confronted on the matter by the Press, and the potential cost of the rebranding exercise at a time of fiscal austerity, the finance supermo stated to the press that the Council can call itself what it likes, before lambasting the journalist for poor reporting at the next Council meeting.

It seems though the last laugh is on the journalist because the ASA is about to rule against the Tories

Most people would accept defeat, engage in a mea cupla and brush of the issue.

Alas the Tories have gone on full assault with what must be considered the most brazenly strange attack that has come from the Council in recent years.

Even odder then the underfunded pie-in-the-sky joke campaign.

It shows that the Tories have simply lost the capability to represent the interests of residents and are instead going on odd witch hunts at the expense of the public

The press release is in every sense, utterly pathetic:

'To the casual observer, it will probably seem like little more than a storm in a teacup.

Which is why the Tories have written over 1000 words on the matter using Council resources. Big old mug of tea...

But Medway Council now seriously believes the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should investigate the town Welwyn Garden City, the music venue Nottingham Rock City and even its own headquarters following a bizarre ‘waste of time’ ruling by the marketing watchdog.

An absolutely ludicrous attack. Welwyn Garden City has historical precedence as a 'Garden City' based in fact. The Nottingham Rock City is a rock nightclub and is not seeking to purport to be something which it is not.

These are just some of the places the local authority has listed following an odd and somewhat obstinate adjudication by the ASA.

At the expense of tax payers money which could indeed have been used to improve your services. Why is the local authority wasting time on this 'storm in a tea cup'?

In a modern day twist on the classic novel The Tale of Two Cities the ASA has ruled that Medway Council in Kent should not use a small version of an aspirational logo they have produced for their city status bid on a tourism leaflet they produced several months ago.

The logo was bigger on the bins; though it is true the specific compliant was about the tourism promotion

The local authority says the ruling – due to be delivered on Wednesday (16 March) - lacks any degree of common sense and points out that a number of places across the country use the word city – when they are not one as well.

Given it has not been published in full yet; that is presumptive.

And Medway Council believes that, in the interest of decency and fair play, the ASA cannot make this ruling and ignore these other minor misdemeanours.

So in the spirit of decency and fair play you put out a press statement in advance of the ruling. What fibs...

To compare Medway which are a collection of towns seeking City status with a rock venue or Welwyn Garden City is basing your spurious assertion that these places are seeking to mis-sell what they are not. False argument.

A single complainant claimed that as Medway was not yet a city and only bidding to become one then using this logo was misleading on advertising literature.

A complaint that has been upheld by an impartial arbiter.

The logo, developed at no cost by the council, is being used as a way to promote Medway’s ambition to become a city in a UK wide competition to make a town a city during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

A free logo amazing! Total fiction; everything has a cost.

It is doing this as it believes becoming a city will helps draw in substantial investment and jobs for the mainly urban area of nearly 260,000 people.

Something I actually agree with

“We put a small logo for our city bid on a tourism leaflet and the Advertising Standards Authority decided to come down on us like a ton of bricks.

No, you misrepresented a place as a City when it is not. Ipso facto you get penalised.

“This leaflet took the council’s own designer less than a day to design and cost the council nothing. We didn’t realise the ASA was going to make this kind of fuss over such a storm in a teacup.

So a free designer working on the Council Payroll spent 'less than a day' to design the logo but apparently was not paid. Unbelievable.

“If they are going to do that, though, they need to look at other places across the country that use the name city in their title.

Not unless there are complaints of mis-representation. But dont let that stop you wasting tax payers time compiling your own list:

“In fact, to help them in this we have compiled a list of other places that they should now investigate.

And off we go... at the tax payers expense.

“After all, if they are going to waste our time then they should at least play fair and waste everyone else’s as well.

Well Im only paid by the tax-payer to manage the Council Finances; this is not personal, honest...

“I must admit I find it staggering. After all, our officers’ time is much better used ensuring our residents get the council services they need and want rather than dealing with bizarre rulings from wannabe quangos in London.

Yes, so we are still talking about it...

Other places that could now come under fire from the ASA following their ruling include:

Finally then... at last...

* London City Airport – which is not based in the City of London, or even a city, and is actually in the London Borough of Newham.

*Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City – These are called cities, but are actually towns in Hertfordshire and have been since 1903 and 1920 respectively. Will the ASA now seek to overturn their historic names?

* Nottingham Rock City – which while based in a city is definitely not a city in its own right and isn’t even a town - it’s a music venue showcasing live gigs. Are groups intending to play there now going to have to change their posters?

* The ASA’s headquarters – which are in a building called Mid City Place in Holborn, which are in the London Borough of Camden, and not in a city (please see notes to editors). Should the ASA have investigated this when they chose to recently rent this office space?

* Cathedral City cheese – as this is made in Davidstow, Cornwall, which is neither a city or has a cathedral.

* London City Airport DLR – this is not in the City of London or in a city.

* London’s City Hall – the seat of the Mayor of London – as this is in the London Borough of Southwark, which is not a city, and the mayor oversees Greater London, which is a geographic region with two cities in it – the City of Westminster and the City of London.

* Surrey Docks, Hackney, Vauxhall, Mudchute, Spitalfields and Kentish Town City Farms – all of which are not in a city, but in London boroughs.

* Milton Keynes – which describes itself on its website as a “cosmopolitan city” and markets “a number of city centre” branded hotels. This is a not a city, but a town and is, indeed, a town which is also bidding to win city status in 2012.

* Milton Keynes City football club – for the same reasons as above.

* The Stratford City Development in East London - next to the Olympic stadium, which is actually in the London Borough of Newham.

* The little known Ocean City Chinese takeaway in Devizes ��� as this is not in a city, but a small market town in Wiltshire, and it certainly is not near an ocean.

If you believe the above is what your Council and its staff should be doing then Vote Conservative in May

Alternatively Vote Labour and kick this inept bunch out of office