MPs still concerned for Notts despite County Hall meeting
NOTTS MPs say they remain worried about the future of local services despite meeting leaders of the county council.
High profile politicians, including Vernon Coaker and Kenneth Clarke, met the council's cabinet yesterday to discuss the authority's plans to axe £85m over the next three years.
The behind-closed-doors meeting at County Hall, attended by all the Notts MPs, except Ashfield's Geoff Hoon and Newark's Patrick Mercer, was arranged by Conservative council leader Coun Kay Cutts.
Gedling's Labour MP, Vernon Coaker, said: "What I am worried about is the services that Notts people rely on. The cuts in the budget are changes which affect the most vulnerable people in our areas.
"What was discussed was, 'if you are going to increase charges, don't do it to the most vulnerable people'.
"I raised the whole issue of gritting, with their plans to cut funding for it next year. They have said they are going to review it.
"We made a point about the privatisation of care homes. They listened – but made no firm commitments."
Broxtowe's Labour MP, Nick Palmer, said: "Obviously there are major differences of opinion. The areas which we discussed in most detail were plans to axe voluntary transport services and care home sales.
"I think there is some room for manoeuvre on the transport, but they didn't accept there is a lot. I still think that the cuts are not sensible in terms of cost benefits."
But Ken Clarke, the Conservative MP for Rushcliffe, said: "There is a re-balancing of the budget going on as well as an adjustment to economic realities.
"Obviously they have to make quite serious cuts because of the mess public finances have got into. They are having to put more money onto key areas of child protection and learning disabilities."
He praised the "professionalism" of the Tory-run council and supported its plan to freeze council tax.
The council, he said, "was making a sensible effort to spread the burden" and described its plans to sell its care homes to the private sector as a "sensible measure".
Labour's Paddy Tipping, MP for Sherwood, said raising council tax would reduce the burden of the cuts on older people.
"If they were not so dogmatic about not putting up council tax, it would give them an extra £9m to spend," he said.
After the meeting, Coun Cutts said in a statement: "I know that MPs have to lobby on behalf of their constituents, but I also know that they understand the county council faces a major financial challenge.
"I hope that from today's meeting they have gained greater understanding of the challenge this year and the coming years.
"We had a very useful discussion. I am keen to maintain a dialogue with MPs. My cabinet and I will, of course, take their representations into account when forming final budget proposals, but they will be considered in the wider context of very useful and informative ongoing consultation."
chris.birkle@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
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by Bill Lawrenson, Keyworth
Sunday, January 17 2010, 10:44PM
“Mr S aren't Nottingham City Council also going to cull their staff? or doesn't that count ?”
by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Sunday, January 17 2010, 7:34PM
“Interestingly, although over the border, I see on the Politics Show today that Kay Cutts's friend in Leicestershire, David Parsons, having previously said how much he values his work force now wants to cut it, and freeze council tax.
He's bottled it!
Perhaps our friend J, who lives in Leics, has a view on that?”
by Bill Lawrenson, Keyworth
Sunday, January 17 2010, 6:50PM
“MadB I will put it in simple terms. Kay Cutts has a Cabinet just as the PM does, It is the Leaders Cabinet. It is therefore perfectly reasonable for he/she to say "My Cabinet and I".
I thought you would have grasped that I was not quoting on her actual comments but only on her use of the phrase "My Cabinet and I" to which you had taken exception. I am indeed surprised that you locked onto that one aspect of the article instead of the substance.”
by MadBadger, The Sett
Sunday, January 17 2010, 5:59PM
“Surely, Ted, the substance here is how people reading this story read Cutts' somewhat regal pronunciations?”
by Ted, Notts
Sunday, January 17 2010, 5:45PM
“I wonder why Hoon didn¿t turn up? There¿s a lot of pedantry on this thread. I suppose an obsession with presentation over substance is the modern way of thinking.”
by MadBadger, The Sett
Sunday, January 17 2010, 5:30PM
“Bill, you're wrong. And I think you know you are.
Your examples bear no resemblance to what Cutts said.”
by Bill Lawrenson, Keyworth
Sunday, January 17 2010, 5:24PM
“I know she sounded like the Queen MadB but I think she was being accurate. You would say "Tony Blair and his Cabinet took the decision to send troops to Iraq" or "Gordon Brown and his Cabinet decided to bail out the bankers" equally so " Kay Cutts and her Cabinet decided to cut staff numbers" It demonstrates that the Cabinet advises the Leader and helps arrive at decisions but is a separate entity ( I nearly said independent LOL ). She may have delusions of grandeur but I think she was technically correct.”
by MadBadger, The Sett
Sunday, January 17 2010, 10:51AM
“Dave wrote...
"... and "it's" as well - ...".
Ha ha ha.
Try again, Dave.”
by Dave, Notts
Sunday, January 17 2010, 10:41AM
“Angry 'Arry - Please tell us more about the "simplsitic details of politics". You sound like you're well versed on the subject.
I'm well aware of which MPs represent the City. My point was why they had never bothered to attempt to improve the City Council's miserable two star rating.
PS - It's "MPs" and "it's" as well - I think it's you that's sporting the short trousers.”
by MadBadger, The Sett
Sunday, January 17 2010, 10:34AM
“Bill, instead of saying...
"My cabinet and I will, of course, take their representations into account..."
...and trying to sound like she's the Queen, she could simply have said...
"THE CABINET will, of course, take their representations into account...".
However, the latter gives the impression that HER cabinet has a say in what goes on and gets decided, doesn't it.”