18 July - Financial Services Report (Part 1)
Covid was not something that I would particularly want to repeat but it was not
nearly as bad as the flu which I had for seven weeks at the beginning of 2020.
It has however left me with a persistent cough but more relevant is the fact that it
took 18 days for the ‘brain fog’ to lift. Perhaps that is why I failed to notice that the renamed
Finance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee had gone unreported.
Over the years Scrutiny Committee names and responsibilities have been
gradually refined - for the better - and for this one the Leader has even appointed a capable Chairman. Maybe
Councillor Dourmoush has served sufficient penance after
indicating that
Bexley’s Good News audit was not particularly good.
My view is that the auditor was asked to come out with that comment because it made a good
electioneering headline, but perhaps I am biased by the recollection of Bexley Council once being
renowned for its dishonesty and dirty tricks.
Maybe things are a bit better now. Probably they are.
The Chairman noted that no members of the public were present which pretty much
confirms the statistics I see after posting these reports. No one cares about
the state of Bexley’s finances when moaning about the soaring rates of
Council Tax is so much easier.
Like every one of us bar, perhaps, Rishi Sunak, the Council is at risk from the
runaway inflation inflicted by the aforesaid billionaire and it has produced a
report on the risks posed. Cabinet Member Leaf was asked to speak about the
Household Support Grant and he sarcastically promised one of his “always brief answers”.
He said that the Chancellor had promised a third support grant at the end of May
but the Council was still waiting the allocation and the Terms & Conditions
relating to how the grant is to be spent. Councillor Leaf believes the total
amount may be £1·5 million if it is in line with previous grant allocations. His report was commendably brief.
Deputy Chairman Steven Hall asked what the Council had done to counter ULEZ and
one must therefore wonder where he has been over the past two or three
months. If extended again next year it will impact greatly on Bexley residents.
There is of course the consultation and Cabinet Member Leaf referred to the
official ULEZ data which makes it very clear that the poorest members of society will suffer most.
Councillor Hall asked if there were any £150 energy cheques still awaiting distribution.
31,000 cheques went out to residents who for various reasons could not be paid
by BACS. Strangely only 23,000 of the cheques have been cashed. (It is not easy to pay in a cheque these days.) Councillor Leaf failed to say
how many cheques, if any, had not gone out at all. The implication was that it might be none.
Labour Leader Borella said that ULEZ was not the only financial pressure placed
on Bexley residents. The Council Tax had gone up by 21% in only four years and
there was nothing in the Council’s report about the tax burden overall being at
a 70 year high. His implication was that the report was making political points
and that is an accusation difficult to refute. Councillor Leaf’s response could
be summarised as “no one taxes higher than Labour”.
Councillor Larry Ferguson (Labour, Thamesmead East) said he understood that the £150 energy rebate money had
to be spent by September and what will happen to any of it not used by then.
Councillor Leaf said uncashed cheques would be cancelled and the money placed as
a credit on Council Tax accounts which I imagine might have been a simple and
acceptable option for many residents from the outset except that those exempt from
paying Council Tax would present another problem. Later comment by Councillor
Leaf indicated that the Government had forbidden such a course of action.
Councillor Bishop asked what could be done to help people facing increased
rents. Councillor Leaf had a number of suggestions including Citizens Advice and
the recent two page spread in the Bexley Magazine.
Summer Magazine 2022. Pages 20 and 21.
Under Councillor Dourmoush’s direction this was a particularly good natured meeting
(†) largely devoid of political point scoring. Among other things it showed that
Cabinet Member Leaf can come across as knowledgeable and generally on top of his
brief when he curbs his tongue, both its length and its sharpness.
† With the proviso that the report is not yet completely finished!