Are we still all in this together?

25th October 2010, Appendix 7, Cornwall Council's Emergency Budget:

Top messages from notes from public and stakeholder meetings

1. Save on staff and Members pay and benefits (my emphasis)


This is what the council reported as the number one priority. The savings on staff pay and benefits have been well documented. But what has the council done to reduce spending on members? Allowances "frozen" - but not cut. Number of members: 123. And if I remember correctly, about 20% of them didn't even turn up for the budget meeting.


Incidentally, this email from councillor Ann Kerridge arrived today:

The rumour mill at Cornwall Council has been in overdrive recently about a plot to replace Tory council leader Alec Robertson with Fiona Ferguson. Apparently a number of Conservative backbenchers have become concerned about Alec's autocratic style of management. Thus there will be few who think a cabinet paper proposing the creation of posts to assist cabinet members is unconnected with this revolt. Especially as the new jobs are 99.9% certain to attract remuneration.


At the beginning of the council in 2011 I proposed that total payments to councillors be frozen until 2015 in the light of cuts and redundancies that would hit council services. The basic councillors' allowance has been frozen whilst total expenditure on councillors has increased because jobs have been created to placate Mebyon Kernow amongst others.

I predict that this ploy to save Alec Robertson's skin will get voted through by Conservatives and Independent councillors. I predict that Fiona Ferguson won't replace Alec but that she will get a position with a responsibility allowance and that total spending on councillors will go up again.

It may be necessary to buy off dissident councillors. If that has to happen then it should be paid for by a reduction in the generous payments to Alec and the rest of his cabinet. After all it is them and not council tax payers who have caused the problem.