The New Strategic Direction for Suffolk, as proposed by the Conservative Group on the County Council, is rapidly becoming a road to nowhere. A deceitful road to nowhere, to be honest. Here's the report on the County Council's website...
At today’s Full Council meeting it was agreed that the future role of Suffolk County Council in delivering services will be different. By changing the way council services are delivered, the county council will be able to reduce costs, reduce its size, cut out waste and bureaucracy and give the people of Suffolk a better say on how they receive services.
Ah yes, that will be in the same way that Town and Parish Council were given forty-eight hours notice that this was on the cards... And of course the council will reduce its size, it won't be doing anything but monitor contracts.
In the future, the council will focus more on commissioning services and supporting other organisations, including the voluntary sector, private sector, and community groups, to deliver services.
Support? With whom? You're only planning to have contract monitoring staff, remember?...
Councillor Jeremy Pembroke, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said: “This decision was made with consideration to the financial deficit in the public sector and the Coalition Government’s priority to reduce the deficit and the size of the state. The Coalition requires lesser government and a bigger society, and Suffolk County Council has responded to this change.”
No, Jeremy, the only consideration is that you and your Group are too feckless and inept to monitor, supervise and direct public services yourselves. The Coalition is calling for better, more efficient government, not just less, and contracting huge swathes to the private sector isn't building a bigger society, it's reducing democratic accountability.
Councillor Pembroke continued: “Now that Full Council has debated the issue and agreed with the future model for the county council, we can begin to talk with the people of Suffolk so they can be involved in the shaping of services for the future.”
With three times as many councillors as the other parties combined, it was never going to be a debate, was it? And you may have agreed it, but that doesn't mean that the opposition is going down without a fight.
Today’s decision now enables the leadership within the council to further explore different options for the future delivery of services, along with beginning discussions with those people in the county who will be affected.
But you're planning to commence the third and last phase of the programme within a year. How much consultation are you planning, and with whom? Everyone who uses the Libraries service? Everyone who drives a car - yes, Highways are on the list too - or everyone with small children? Or weren't you going to mention Early Years and Childcare?
Frankly, I suspect that most of the Conservative councillors haven't had much notice of this, and their District colleagues even less, if any. But for those Conservatives up for election in 2011, it's time to choose a side, ladies and gentlemen...
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