Local media response to the Comprehensive Spending Review

For those of you who are interested there's an article in This is Somerset about the Cabinet Member for Enironment at SCC, Anthony Trollope-Bellew, resigning.  He's open about the reasons and about how irresponsible the cuts to the highways budget are.  So congratulations to Ken Maddock for doing something so daft he's managed to get me agreeing with Anthony Trollope-Bellew.  

This is Somerset: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Cuts-willlead-road-deaths/article-2788998-detail/article.html

Also a piece in BBC Somerset.  Of note two other councillors seem to have gone as well (Stephen Martin-Scott & William Wallace).  Not sure as to the reasons but Ken Maddock is trying to spin it as a savings decision, with it leaving just five cabinet members left. There is more to it and may indicate some fracturing in the Tory group.
 

BBC Somerset: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-11597481

Some more in the County Gazette, which I think is more than went in yesterday's print edition.  The question I'd ask is where are the Lib Dems? Do they even have an opinion on this as I haven't seen a remark/quote from them in weeks?

    

County Gazette: http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/8469231.Spending_review___more_on_Somerset_County_Council_s_savage_cuts/

UNISON march and rally - 6th November

The local branch of UNISON are holding a rally and march on 6th November in opposition to the cuts at Somerset County Council.  The rally will be held at 10.30am in French Weir with the march at 11.00am. 

This needs to be publicised at widely as possible to try and get a good turnout to show the Conservative group the level of opposition in Taunton and Somerset to the cuts they are proposing. 

I will be writing a fuller post on the Comprehensive Spending Review and the actual cuts in Somerset soon but for the moment here is a link to the letter that the Chief Exec at SCC sent out to all staff.  Here is the UNISON response.

More after the break.

Southwest One makes pre-tax loss of £16.5 million

As I mentioned at the bottom of my last post Southwest One has posted a pre-tax loss of £16.5 million.  This is not good news and as much as I think that Southwest One was never a good idea at any point I would rather it didn't start losing money hand over fist as I'm a little vague about how losses are distributed.  SW One is 75% owned by IBM with the remaining 25% split between SCC, Taunton Deane and Avon & Somerset Constabulary.  Both Taunton Deane & SCC seem to be suggesting they will not be directly paying for mistakes/losses by SW One which is probably technically correct.  I'm sure the truth is somewhat more complicated.  SCC had the following to say:  

Somerset council said it would not cost extra money as it was a fixed contract.
David Huxtable, the councillor responsible for resources at the county council, said: "I don't have any concerns or fears about the ability of the company to deliver our services because we made sure we partnered with huge international business and I have security in that.
"We asked people to bid to run our services at less cost to us and that's what they did.
"It may be that they over or under bid for the contract but I feel that is their problem, and not necessarily ours."

Note the Not necessarily ours.  Well that's alleviated all my concerns then - good job David.  I suppose if the worst happens you can always suggest selling County Hall again.