Call for cross-party co-operation over cuts in North East Lincolnshire
THE severity of the cutbacks facing North East Lincolnshire Council was underlined by leader Chris Shaw who warned councillors of all parties: "If we get this wrong, we will all hang."
In a call for cross-party co-operation to help steer the authority through this period of austerity, he said: "We are all in this together.
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TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, councillor Chris Shaw.
"The days of politicians not taking responsibility are over.
"I can assure you that councillors in this administration will take responsibility.
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"There will be no ducking, no diving, no hiding behind parapets, and no hiding behind officers. All councillors will have to step up to the mark and accept responsibility."
His comments came during yesterday's policy, performance and resources scrutiny panel meeting – the fourth in a series of meetings to discuss the council's budget proposals for 2013/14.
The biggest proposal to be discussed at the meeting was the planned £2.4 million saving on "demand management."
Councillor Darren Billard, the portfolio holder for finance, governance and support services, explained that the saving would be achieved by reducing the demand for goods and services and by securing better deals with improved buying power through the new commissioning team.
Mr Shaw added that £200,000 would be saved by re-aligning insurance premiums, which would allow the council to consolidate several policies into one over-arching policy.
Other proposals include cutting the £10,000 budget for finding consultants (to be done by the new commissioning team) and saving £28,000 by getting rid of the council's mobile classroom van.
4 Comments
by Fitties1
Friday, January 25 2013, 4:55PM
“Walter Ampthorpe
You really should stop this vendetta. You could land yourself in serious trouble.
If you want to make allegations you should do it properly. Dont hide behind anonymity on here.”
by Beagleyes
Friday, January 25 2013, 2:41PM
“Why oh why do we have this persistent wish to involve other parties in the decision making of the current labour administration
Labour has a huge majority and therefore doesn't ( and probably won't ) need to listen to the views of the other parties
Come on Cllr SHaw you were given the mandate to rule so get on and rule and stop playing games by way of trying to include other parties .....
Lets face it if the boot was on the other foot I suspect the local Labour Party wouldn't get a look in
So stop bleating you have the mandate now go on and run the area, so go and do so and stop wasting everyone's time in this charade of trying to include everyone from all parties
It's simply not going to happen”
by Newhack58
Friday, January 25 2013, 11:44AM
“Have they all been living in the 20th century? Austerity measures have been happening for years. Why now do politicians say lets get together on this (put up token resistance) and we can share the blame and ultimately their own necks and jobs come the next elections. They know this has been coming for years...If not , certainly everybody else does. Another round of the same old boom and bust. That's all any of them know how to deal with, because its human nature. There isn't a forward thinking, imaginative person among the lot of them”
by davendogs
Friday, January 25 2013, 9:38AM
“Councillor Shaw started off with fine words. It isn't quite 'where all in it together' though. I think I mentioned before, all parties should pull together, they have a duty to do so. Not for themselves but for the greater good of all people.”
by redmen311
Friday, January 25 2013, 8:36AM
“No Shaw, it will be your name and your labour colleagues who I will remember come voting time.”