The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...ts-oxfordshire

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/139...line_services/

The ignorance of how the decisions his Chancellor is making are affecting local authorities and, in turn, their constituents is astounding.

The PM may find this uncomfortable but it's way worse in many other local authorities. Where are his platitudes and reprimands for all of them I wonder?

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Yeah the reply to his council from Cameron was either disingenuous or ignorant. The obsession governments have with efficiency and backroom savings, which allows them to claim they can provide better services with less money, has led them to believing their own spin I guess.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

How about they start by cutting the number of MPs and then increasing the size of their constituencies,ask them to sit at weekends,work longer hours and all for the same pay...

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

I know quite a few MPs who do work weekends, in their constituencies.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

In my experience local govt. has operated with all the efficiency of the BBC for decades but there has to come a point at which significant savings can't be made without having serious knock on effects on important even vital services. It'd be nice if common sense prevailed but there's right and wrong on both sides of this equation.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

As we know of doctors who do actually work at weekends..However what about the rest of my suggestions?

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Well, since the last survey showed that MPs worked an average of 69 hours per week, and if they sat at the weekend how would they do constituency work, and if you increased the size of the constituencies (by reducing the number of MPs) there would be less chance to see your MP if you had an issue.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/data...eachers-or-mps

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

If an MP told me what day of the week it was I'd want to double check, they've got to justify their 11% pay rise somehow.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Actually, I'd far rather we devolve powers to the councils and cut the number of MPs that way.

Members of our national legislature should ideally be representing their constituents as a whole, with local issues being handled by those closer to the people.

We are something of an aberration in the amount of case work for individuals our MPs handle, which is part of the justification for there being so many of them.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

That may well apply to many MPs but as my last MP (duck house man) did practically nothing but photo opportunities in the constituency,seeming to spend his time trying to set up a white elephant transport tram system that would go through a tunnel under the harbour to Portsmouth and was at one point recorded on the list of house attendance as being the third to last on the list for attendance I'll possibly be forgiven for being somewhat sceptical about just how much case work some actually have or attend to..

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Just as I don't judge all teachers by the sub-standard ones, I don't judge MPs by the reports on the minority in the press.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Noble of you.I guess your MP is a paragon..;)

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

But the constituents of this and similar counties can have no complaints. They voted this Government back in knowing these cuts are coming. I have said before, I am looking forward to the Daily Mail readers' comments when these cuts directly affect them ;)

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Actually, he is (Greg Mulholland) - and I didn't vote for him.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/116...eds_north_west

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Well not every constituency has your luck.Indeed the Isle of Wight is currently being very badly served by their MP..

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

But that was the point I was trying to make - some are good, some are bad; one size doesn't fit all.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

we all know what the answer is but the tories dont speak that language, they are so up their own backside they wont admit they wrong.

Tax increases. They blab on about balancing the books yet they wont work on increasing their income, many councils across the country are in crisis due to freezes on council tax and cuts from central government, not to mention the forced protection of pensioners on council benefits.

Something the national news doesnt tell voters is that the NHS is rolling out a policy to keep beds empty, keeping ill people at home where they are cared for by carers instead of nurses in a hospital, this however is a shift of spending, because although the gov funds hospitals, its councils that fund carers.

Remember crisis loans? used to be funded via the job centre, local councils now have taken over that system as well. This government has been pretty sly in how they operate.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...-welfare-state grim reading.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Again we see an example where Wales has led the way and England trails behind...

A few years back, the Welsh Government's Education minister (Labour's Leighton Andrews) decided to cut back on the number of primary school places (read: close near empty primary schools) all over Wales.

While this was happening, Andrews was photographed supporting a protest against closing a school in his constituency which was 2/3ds empty, which was under threat from his own policies!

He was given the boot soon after.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Wow!

Any supporting evidence to back that up?

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Still too many of them..and if they want everyone else to work more, for longer and for less pay then let them be an example first.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Here is a piece about the ongoing care crisis Hugh.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...-age-nightmare

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Ooops.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

It's a very interesting and enlightening article, but I can't find anything in it to support the statement

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

That's the only article one could find as l would be very surprised if the NHS had a widespread policy like that stated in post 17.

Re: The Westminster bubble in sharp focus
 

Well yeah I think I remember you questioning me last time as if you think I am spreading FUD.

Its called the re-enablement program.

First of all I needed carers myself temporarily last year and as such I was told this information first hand by both the carers and a senior consultant at the hospital when I complained about been discharged rapidly.

Second it was on a recent panorama which was related to the NHS funding crisis. Up until I seen the panorama I was curious if I was been told rubbish but with both sources matching up I now believe it to be true.

The panorama went into the funding issue ref the councils paying for NHS offloading patients.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05y3fcb

note to also add I have equipment now in my home lent to me by the council, without them my independence would be gone. Dont underestimate what councils are doing for the vulnerable.

I am not saying the re-enablement program is a bad idea, but the funding of it is an issue.