There is a deafening silence these days from Northumberland County Hall.
It is the silence of the lambs, being led down the path by a, not so good, shepherd.
This is not going to be a diatribe on the rights or wrongs of Bill Brooks pre-emptive strike for survival, although I will make a few pertinent points later in the narrative, no its going to more of a forensic examination on what has gone wrong, in an Authority a few years ago that was respected amongst its own party and in government, now its friends are turning away.
The pathway Bill has chosen was one started by Michael Davey.
It is a path littered with clichés such as ‘what do the public know anyway’, interspersed by the well worn ‘we are here to make the hard decisions’, who has it been hard for Bill?
It has certainly been hard for the people of South east Northumberland, your own backyard. With the closure of homes, doubling costs of home care, loss of firemen and the stations in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, closure of schools, libraries you have seen even your own councillors protesting about it.
You have suspended your own councillors for trying to be true to their principles. You have attempted to suborn democracy in your own party with your Machiavellian machinations, and tried to suspend or get thrown out several members who do not concur with your thinking.
The policies that have been promulgated at County, by a few in the know, are the problem. They are not policies worked out in Labour Group and owned or at least supported by everyone. They are policies that are drawn up by officers who run the executive and ruling group.
This is not an indictment of officers – they are doing their job as they have been allowed to do it for years, even to the CEO stating in public that the reorganisation of the councils in Northumberland are a done deal, because he was responsible for the white paper!
This is the same group that told everyone, wink wink, nudge nudge, we have the money for BSF or was it PLF – what happened to that?
The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the two leading councillors and to a certain extent the Executive, who have failed miserably to hold them to account.
Now we have sweet William walking the stage telling everyone that his way is the only way, sod what the foot soldiers think.
Gone are the promises of a ‘value for money’ council, the Audit Commission put the lie to that in March, whilst praising the vale given by Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, how that must have galled Bill. Even at your own Area Committee an Officer stated it was the intent to follow Blyth Valley and gain ‘excellent’ status.
That is what is behind all the past few years an attempt to ‘tick the boxes’ to gain the ultimate prize of ‘excellence’ from the Audit Commission.
Gone is the vision of superb services well delivered, what services you are closing them all down.
Gone too is the pretence of engaging with the public – even your own Scrutiny Board told you last month that members of the public feel they are intruding when they enter the bi-monthly propaganda machines.
Three months ago the County was labelled the most expensive, in tax, in the country – what price savings in a single unitary now Bill?
All of this pales though in the light of Bill and Peter Hillmans complete disregard for the results of the MORI poll conducted by the Electoral Committee and the referendum that clearly said the public do not want you as a council. They prefer local councils locally accountable.
Even in moderate Wansbeck, known for its pragmatism amongst its councillors you have turned their hand against you by closing their homes and fire stations.
In the forthcoming weeks there is to be a lot of blood letting, caused by you Bill, the result should be a foregone conclusion and should follow the lead of the public.
One thing is for sure, you will not go for a public vote again, of that you are frit.
If there is a single unitary there will be a full vote – something you forgot to factor in, there is no way on Gods earth that you will be in power or Labour even a major play in the debacle that will ensue.
You know that, you know you will consign Labour policies that have achieved so much, to the dustbin that will be a Tory run authority and that’s when the two Labour MPs will fall. North of the Tyne will be a waste land and that will be your legacy Bill.
It is a legacy that we will all be paying Inheritance Tax on for years, it is one you can avoid by allowing Northumberland to emerge with dignity, with a council for South East Northumberland that will flourish.
Veritas
It is the silence of the lambs, being led down the path by a, not so good, shepherd.
This is not going to be a diatribe on the rights or wrongs of Bill Brooks pre-emptive strike for survival, although I will make a few pertinent points later in the narrative, no its going to more of a forensic examination on what has gone wrong, in an Authority a few years ago that was respected amongst its own party and in government, now its friends are turning away.
The pathway Bill has chosen was one started by Michael Davey.
It is a path littered with clichés such as ‘what do the public know anyway’, interspersed by the well worn ‘we are here to make the hard decisions’, who has it been hard for Bill?
It has certainly been hard for the people of South east Northumberland, your own backyard. With the closure of homes, doubling costs of home care, loss of firemen and the stations in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, closure of schools, libraries you have seen even your own councillors protesting about it.
You have suspended your own councillors for trying to be true to their principles. You have attempted to suborn democracy in your own party with your Machiavellian machinations, and tried to suspend or get thrown out several members who do not concur with your thinking.
The policies that have been promulgated at County, by a few in the know, are the problem. They are not policies worked out in Labour Group and owned or at least supported by everyone. They are policies that are drawn up by officers who run the executive and ruling group.
This is not an indictment of officers – they are doing their job as they have been allowed to do it for years, even to the CEO stating in public that the reorganisation of the councils in Northumberland are a done deal, because he was responsible for the white paper!
This is the same group that told everyone, wink wink, nudge nudge, we have the money for BSF or was it PLF – what happened to that?
The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the two leading councillors and to a certain extent the Executive, who have failed miserably to hold them to account.
Now we have sweet William walking the stage telling everyone that his way is the only way, sod what the foot soldiers think.
Gone are the promises of a ‘value for money’ council, the Audit Commission put the lie to that in March, whilst praising the vale given by Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, how that must have galled Bill. Even at your own Area Committee an Officer stated it was the intent to follow Blyth Valley and gain ‘excellent’ status.
That is what is behind all the past few years an attempt to ‘tick the boxes’ to gain the ultimate prize of ‘excellence’ from the Audit Commission.
Gone is the vision of superb services well delivered, what services you are closing them all down.
Gone too is the pretence of engaging with the public – even your own Scrutiny Board told you last month that members of the public feel they are intruding when they enter the bi-monthly propaganda machines.
Three months ago the County was labelled the most expensive, in tax, in the country – what price savings in a single unitary now Bill?
All of this pales though in the light of Bill and Peter Hillmans complete disregard for the results of the MORI poll conducted by the Electoral Committee and the referendum that clearly said the public do not want you as a council. They prefer local councils locally accountable.
Even in moderate Wansbeck, known for its pragmatism amongst its councillors you have turned their hand against you by closing their homes and fire stations.
In the forthcoming weeks there is to be a lot of blood letting, caused by you Bill, the result should be a foregone conclusion and should follow the lead of the public.
One thing is for sure, you will not go for a public vote again, of that you are frit.
If there is a single unitary there will be a full vote – something you forgot to factor in, there is no way on Gods earth that you will be in power or Labour even a major play in the debacle that will ensue.
You know that, you know you will consign Labour policies that have achieved so much, to the dustbin that will be a Tory run authority and that’s when the two Labour MPs will fall. North of the Tyne will be a waste land and that will be your legacy Bill.
It is a legacy that we will all be paying Inheritance Tax on for years, it is one you can avoid by allowing Northumberland to emerge with dignity, with a council for South East Northumberland that will flourish.
Veritas
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