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Meanwhile on Planet Babergh – Déjà vu all over again

Brian Riley Political - Local, Uncategorized ,

Last November (https://brian-riley.blog/2023/11/03/meanwhile-on-planet-babergh-3/) I reported on a meeting of Babergh and Mid-Suffolk Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee
One of the key areas looked at was the Annual Review of the Joint Homes and Housing Annual Strategy. Lurking at the back of the paper was the delivery plan which included the following new task: 
“Ensure we deliver a quality repairs and planned works service by holding our contractors to account. Making sure they respond to works orders in a timely manner as set out in their contract KPIs and our tenancy agreements.” 
I was told that we were not checking on contractors’ repairs and the problem was one of resources. In which case we needed a reallocation of resources from writing about work to doing it. I was given to understand that inspectoins would commence in April 2024.
So it was with a sense of some anticipation that I attended this October’s Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. One of the key areas looked at was the Annual Review of the Joint Homes and Housing Annual Strategy and so at an appropriate time I raised the matter of the inspecting contractors’ work. To my surprise I was told that no inspections were taking place. This was due to a misapplication (my word) of resources. It appears that the Housing Department is focussing on Policies, Protocols & Procedures ignoring the obvious that it’s sharp end performance that counts.
The inspection regime should commence in January or February and that this timescale was realistic.
There was no sense of embarrassment that their focus was inwards and not towards their relationships with contractors.  Nor was there any appreciation of the moral hazards of not checking on contractors.
The meeting can be viewed on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fhaNOul8wo) and my questions are featured just before the two hour milestone. I confess I had trouble keeping a civil tongue in my head.

This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley.
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association
The copyright on the housing image is owned by Oast House Archive

Meanwhile on Planet Babergh – Asleep at the Wheel?

Brian Riley Political - Local, Uncategorized ,

A recent meeting of the Babergh District Council Cabinet revealed two interesting details.
First the minutes of the previous meeting showed the comment by a councillor that the anaerobic (waste) digestion was more sophisticated than composting.
I suppressed the thought that anaerobic digestion practitioners attend sophisticated parties, enjoying fine wine and having an informed appreciation of ballet and opera but instead I concentrated on the view that the more complicated something is the more likely it is to malfunction.
But we expect to learn more in November.
Meanwhile lurking in the small print of  the General Fund Financial Monitoring 2024/25 Q1 Forecast was the news that interest income was down £723,000. Most of this (£612,000) arose from the unexpected closure of one of the council’s pooled investment funds, which had only recently been announced.
I was unable to get further details except that the closure was unexpected.
There is an experience of people & organisations going bankrupt slowly at first and then very quickly. But even asteroids give notice of impending doom. Which prompts the question of who was asleep at the wheel whilst this “unexpected” situation occurred? When was the investment downgraded to junk status or worse? What role did our Money Investment Consultants play in this debacle?
I’m not suggesting that Babergh is in financial difficulties but I would like to know more and more specifically who was asleep at the wheel.

Disclaimer:
This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley.
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association.

Starmer & Control

Brian Riley Political - National and other, Uncategorized

The news from the Labour Party conference was quite disturbing.
The Prime Minister’s speech heralded a distinct move into more intervention in our lives. Greater control was promised in the NHS, energy, justice, education, the environment, the office and the economy.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance commented that Starmer claims that he is building a Britain that belongs to the people but in reality he’s tapping up taxpayers to pay for the priorities of backroom bureaucrats, and relentless regulators.
We are already seeing Government by diktat with more pylons and more solar panels on East Anglia’s prime agricultural land. Similarly we are seeing a cascading from London of incomplete regulations  for food recycling.
With the recent revelations of yet more donations from Lord Alli, there are indications that the rules on disclosure will be amended and in echoes of Gordon Brown, the Chancellor is changing the rules on Government borrowing.
It’s all reminiscent of Animal Farm. Care is taken to ensure that all rules are complied with but in effect it is a dictatorship of the people with all decision making and resources flowing to the top to the detriment of most of the population

Starmer – A Pound Shop Politician

Brian Riley Uncategorized

The facts as we know them are that Sir Keir Starmer (SKT) and his spouse received £18,685 and £5,000 respectively for clothing and glasses courtesy of Lord Alli.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer earn approximately £216,000 a year.
The clothing upgrade (?) comes from a suggestion by Lord Mandelson that Sir Keir should present a sharper look. After all, Lord Kinnoch once suggested that candidates should dress as though they were calling on the Aunties and Uncles on a Sunday morning.
All of which begs the following questions:
What sort of high earning millionaire politician accepts money to buy clothing?
Why does SKT still look as though his suits are Pound Shop specials?
What did Lord Alli look for in return for his gifts?
Are our leaders so grasping that they want to hoover up every penny that loosely lying around?
Meanwhile David Lammy (the Foreign Secretary) who supported the Prime Minister’s clothing donation is no slouch in the hand out department having declared £150,000 in donations and freebies so far this year.
Lammy support is top of the range for fatuous remarks stating Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria accepted donations towards clothing because there are no taxpayer funds to cover UK leaders’ wardrobe costs.
The Foreign Secretary said the couple had accepted donations so they could “look their best” to represent the UK when other countries allowed lavish, taxpayer-funded budgets for clothing for their leaders.
The rest of us buy our own clothing unless our parents decide to give our wardrobes a boost.
But the optics are bad and it’s all reminiscent of post war Eastern Europe. Dictatorship of the people and all resources flowing to the top to the detriment of most of the population

All tunnel and no light

Brian Riley Money Matters, Political - National and other, Uncategorized

We look like facing a very cold winter and beyond.
We have already seen that the Winter Fuel Allowance will be cancelled for those not on Universal Benefits,
I expect to see VAT on private school fees.
I expect to see the single person discount on Council Taxes to be withdrawn.
I expect to see Pay per mile arrangements being introduced. This would be to replace fuel duties lost to electric or hybrid motor vehicles.
I expect the council tax bands to be extended.
I expect to see fuel duties to rise, especially as fuel costs are currently down. (Brent Crude is currently $70 a barrel compared to $82 per barrel in August).
I expect to see changes to Dividend Income and Capital Gains taxes
I expect to see changes in Inheritance Taxes
I expect unlawful immigrants whose asylum applications are being assessed to be released into the community. This will lead to pressures on social housing but more directly it will increase the number of homeless in our area. Homeless people are the responsibility of local authorities, so more local authority expenditure will be required.
Finally, the Local Government Association are lobbying for lifting or removing the referendum threshold for council tax increases. This can only encourage local authorities to increase council taxes to unsustainable levels rather than achieving greater efficiencies.
There are now indications that the so called £22 billion financial black hole allegedly inherited from the last government may not be as bad after all. The Labour Government is refusing to provide key details of the £22bn “black hole” that chancellor Rachel Reeves claims to have discovered, with officials insisting they need more time to ensure that the figures are accurate.
Which suggests that for all of Rachel Reeves’s economic qualifications, these figures have been calculated using the back of a cigarette packet
The Prime Minister has warned that “Things will get worse before they will get better” and I believe him.

Disclaimer:
This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley.
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association.

Meanwhile on Planet Babergh

Brian Riley Food Matters, Political - Local, Uncategorized ,
EPSON MFP image

Besieged by Bins?

At the Cabinet meeting on Monday, Babergh decided to introduce a food collection service,
This will be in the form of a third mandatory bin for our residents. There are other modifications proposed to the collection service and these will cost around £1 million in the first year.
The figures presented to us did not include possible income from the Government via the Administrator for Extended Producer Responsibility.
Also excluded was how the Council will treat the food waste collected. There was talk of composting (for farmers) and the production of fuel gases. However, when I asked about the where, the when and the how much this might cost and why it was not included the figures presented, I was told that this was a separate project and full details would be forthcoming in due course.
(I felt as though I had stepped out of an episode of Yes Minister).
Disclaimer:
This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley.
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association.

Earworm from Ezekiel

Brian Riley Nice Things, Uncategorized ,

I often have good intentions as regards attending Mass during the week. However, I am also conscious of my ability (or otherwise) to retain an appropriate demeanour during the service. One such day was Friday 23rd when the reading was from the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel
As can be seen from the extract below Ezekiel was ordered to prophesy over a valley full of bones. saying, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord…. “
I doubt that I would have been able to continue at the service with the earworm on my brain of “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry ones, Hear the word of the Lord.”
A short extract from the reading is below.

The hand of the Lord was laid on me, and he carried me away by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley, a valley full of bones. He made me walk up and down among them. There were vast quantities of these bones on the ground the whole length of the valley; and they were quite dried up. He said to me ‘… ‘Prophesy over these bones. Say, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord…“I prophesied as I had been ordered. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a sound of clattering; and the bones joined together. I looked, and saw that they were covered with sinews; flesh was growing on them and skin was covering them, but there was no breath in them. He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man. Say to the breath, “The Lord says this: Come from the four winds, breath; breathe on these dead; let them live!”’ I prophesied as he had ordered me, and the breath entered them; they came to life again and stood up on their feet, a great, and immense army.”

Enjoy the earworm

Meanwhile on Planet Babergh – Car Parking & Beyond

Brian Riley Political - Local, Uncategorized ,
Creek and Paddle

Readers of my blog may have noted my absence over the past seven months. The most recent development in my circumstances is that at the end of April I broke my left femur and damaged my left elbow which left me distinctly out of action.
I cannot thank enough the ambulance service, Ipswich General A&E surgeons, nurses and the physiotherapists who worked hard to get me back on my feet. I’m also grateful for my social and political friends who did so much to keep my spirits up.
I have now started attending meetings of the Council and feel that positive change is not yet in sight and we continue to face a budget gap of £6.7 million over the years 2025 to 2028.
The Cabinet Meeting on 2nd August  was live streamed and around about one hour and twelve minutes in I asked two questions, one administrative and one political (see https://youtu.be/FdqhcqhwXsc?t=4341).
Whenever Council spending or tax raising is questioned we often get the response that there is no alternative. The alternatives are only too clear. They focus on jobs that are not worth doing let alone not doing well.
This time for all their defensiveness, it seems that non statutory services will be under the hammer.
The preceding debate focused on the proposed new carpark charges. The Cabinet has recognised some previous input from Councillors, residents and local town/parish Councils.
One of the problems with this sort of taxation is the effect on the local economies. Babergh takes the position that they are unable to make an appropriate assessment and therefore they stand back from this issue. However, I have heard it suggested that the car parks will experience a 10-15% reduction in footfall. Translate that into High Street visitors then the economic effects will be to turn more tax paying businesses into subsidised charity shops.

Planet Babergh – Car Parking Charges

Brian Riley Political - Local, Uncategorized

There is nothing a Lib Dem likes more than a deficit in spending. It gives them an opportunity to pick the residents’ pockets and impose their will on the electorate regardless of the damage caused to the communities. The deficit in Babergh’s current budget is to be partially filled by the imposition of higher parking charges from Hadleigh, Sudbury, Lavenham and possibly others. The deficit to the end of March is forecast to be £1.5 million (Dave Busby, Leader of Babergh, EADT December 18th). The cost of parking is said to be £425,000. Thus, just under a third of the Babergh deficit will be covered by the motorist. But wait. £425,000 a year is £38,000 a month which is an awful lot of money for lorryloads of cheap asphalt, white lines and ticket machines.
Where is the prudent management we need? Who is responsible for the £1.5 million overspend? And why is the first reaction to increase taxes?
All expenditure should be reviewed. All staff recruitment should be reviewed and as appropriate deferred. All salary increases and councillor allowances (above the basic) should be withheld.
Then we shall see who have the residents’ needs at heart and who is interested in just feathering their nests.
A petition against car parking charges can be found on
https://baberghmidsuffolk.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=31&RPID=9027367&HPID=9027367
Disclaimer:
This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley.
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association.

Meanwhile on Planet Babergh –  Political Assistants for all?

Brian Riley Political - Local, Uncategorized

There are days when we all have “would you believe it?” moments. The key skill is that one’s reaction should be just below that which irritates the family beyond measure. You only have to be a regular reader of the EADT to be glad that you are not a close family member of some of the regular Europhile correspondents. 
One such WYBI moment was when I became aware that Babergh-Midsuffolk are advertising for a political assistant to support the new Green Party administration at an exciting time for Mid Suffolk District Council. 
Now in the normal course of events I have only a brief interest in what Mid Suffolk Greens are up to. But, as Mid Suffolk and Babergh’s expenses tend to be shared I get concerned that we might be paying for this extravagance. So, I put the following question down for answering at the Council meeting on the 21st November.
Would you kindly confirm that: 
No costs for this post will fall upon the taxpayers and residents of Babergh District Council and that any recruitment by Babergh District Council for a similar post will come to full council for approval prior to the post being advertised. 
You’d have thought that the answers would be simple and that this could be an exercise in discovering something right and reasonable for a change. But, no! The matter was referred the Political Leaders’ Group who rejected the question. 
Discreet enquiries as to the constitutionality of this action caused the question to be reinstated on the Council’s agenda. 
The answers were that the costs of Mid Suffolk’s Political Assistant were for them to fund and that there were no plans for Babergh to have Political Assistants. 
So, what does this mean? 
Why the fuss, if the matter was innocuous? 
Were one or more of Babergh’s coalition groups thinking of having political assistants and didn’t want the matter aired before they were ready? 
Did they change their mind about their perceived needs once the disinfectant of public awareness’ was applied to their ambitions? 
All in all, I think Babergh has dodged the Political Assistant bullet for the time being and the future requires us to be alert to similar future developments. 

This blog/post is the sole responsibility of its author Brian Riley. 
It has not been approved nor is it endorsed by Babergh District Council or South Suffolk Conservative Association