7 December - It’s the cuts stupid
If
I hadn’t heard it from her own lips I may not have believed that the Leader of Bexley
council would tell a questioner at the council meeting on
17th November
that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was wrong to think there is no need to
have both a full time council leader and a chief executive and generally rubbish his ideas to bring the council
gravy train to a halt.
When his representative visits Bexley in two days time
it should be interesting to see if Bexley’s greedy councillors stick with their intransigence. Raising
all the top salaries and expense allowances by inflation beating amounts and then freezing them does not constitute
a cut - it’s a big taxpayer funded pay rise.
Baroness Hanham has had to pull out of the meeting but the good news is that her substitute, Richard Harries,
Deputy Director (Local Government Efficiency) is not afraid to speak his mind. When emailed the question
“Would you agree to state during your speech to the residents of Bexley that Will Tuckley, Chief Executive
of Bexley Council should not be receiving a salary way in excess of the Prime Minister and recommend to the
Leader of Bexley Council that she does all in her power to get the salary considerably reduced, as recommended
by the Secretary of State?”, Richard Harries simply replied that he would be “happy to set out the
Government’s position if asked”. You can bet that he will be.
Maybe James Brokenshire M.P. will be further encouraged to
get off the fence too.