Recession Causes Sharp Drop in Council Income
So are the May 2010 elections ones which the local Tories would rater lose? Whoever wins could be in for a nightmare of having to implement a budet for 2010-2011 which has cuts built into it - to make it balance - which are not however spelt out, since it will have been set before the elections when to do so would be politically "difficult".The fundamental difference is that the local Tories like cutting public spending and local Labour does not. One foolish decision, I believe, has been promoting each school to have its own 6th form. These will, I believe, drain resources from 11-16 education, and not be very viable educationally. I cannot believe each school can offer an effective A level choice, nor offer a decent range of non-academic post-16 vocational education. One of the great virtues of the William Morris Academy was that those attending had elected to stay on in education but had put behind them the misdemeanours of the school years. I suspect that some headteachers want the beneficial behavioural effects of some more mature pupils on the younger kids, plus the kudos from having a 6th form, But it is a big investment at a time of scarcity.I fear that child protection services will be under pressure as ever, and that residential facilities for the elderly will be reduced. Both are very labour-intensive and expensive, and both will come under a lead cabinet member not as committed as the late Councillor Lillis.
Dan Filson ● 5719d3 Comments