General Election 2024: General UK Politics Discussion here

[carosio]

3 hours ago, despritdan said:

What's being suggested is that Labour will end the 25% discount for people living alone which of course will increase the Council tax for those now receiving it. They should never have promised not to raise income tax as it's the fairest form of tax, being progressive.

Of course that's fair, why shouldn't one person pay the same amount as the family of 6 next door?

Tax rises run through Labour ideology like letters in a stick of rock!

[Longcol]

7 hours ago, alchresearch said:

 

Another reason councils are skint is bad management.....

 

Birmingham City Council needs a further £45m to fix ‘disastrous’ Oracle system

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366570538/Birmingham-City-Council-needs-a-further-45m-to-fix-disastrous-Oracle-system

 

Sheffield Council spends more than £1 million apologising for tree scandal

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-council-spends-more-than-ps1-million-apologising-for-tree-scandal-4190219

 

Liverpool council may have squandered up to £100m of public money

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/25/liverpool-council-may-have-squandered-up-to-100m-public-money

 

Dracula study sucks up £80,000 of taxpayer money

The ‘Dracula Returns to Derby’ project is one of dozens of ‘ridiculous’ active research schemes handed grants at a cost of over £8m

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/01/dracula-study-university-derby-sucks-up-80k-taxpayer-cash/

 

Councils spend millions of taxpayers’ money on adult cycle lessons
Edinburgh forks out most cash on training sessions, with Labour-run authorities among biggest spenders

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/29/councils-spend-millions-taxpayers-cash-adult-cycle-lessons/

 

 

 

You missed some of the Tory run ones like Thurrock;

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/19/thurrock-latest-council-declare-effective-bankruptcy

 

Northamptonshire;

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/01/northamptonshire-council-forced-pay-price-reckless-half-decade

 

and quite a few more.............................................

 

The Sheffield and Derby examples are a fraction of  the rwo above,

[peak4]

19 minutes ago, Longcol said:

You missed some of the Tory run ones like Thurrock;

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/19/thurrock-latest-council-declare-effective-bankruptcy

A little more for you on Thurrock, from an answer I had prepared earlier, but got diverted processing some photos from this afternoon.
Why is Thurrock Council in So Much Debt  Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Thurrock council, a relatively small local authority in Essex, UK, has amassed the largest budget deficit in local government history.

How? As a result of ruinous business deals involving huge sums of public money. 

English council claims Dubai-based businessman misused £150mn  FT via Archive.ph
Thurrock Council accuses Liam Kavanagh of diverting funds to buy a yacht, a Bombardier jet and a 232-acre country estate

 

And a more general article from Open Democracy

How the Tories drove Britain’s local services into bankruptcy
Councils provide social care, schools and housing. And half of them are about to run out of money

 the drastic decisions that local authorities are making now are just the tip of the iceberg. Austerity has been biting since 2010, when George Osborne slashed the amount of money councils could receive from central government in one of his first acts as chancellor.

Between 2010 and 2020, they lost more than 50% of their government grants in real terms. Six councils have already gone ‘bankrupt’ in the last two years while more than half of the rest say they could follow, meaning they could be taken over by Whitehall or replaced by new authorities. [NAO link]

[crookesey]

On 02/09/2024 at 17:41, Mister Gee said:

I’ve got an IPad because I’m a modern man, when I go for a pee these days I sit down whilst reading the Guardian online.

I only pee standing up and it’s true what they say, no matter how many times I shake it the last drop always runs down my leg.

 

[cressida]

Thanks for sharing🤥

[crisispoint]

Smashing the gangs is going well, I assume they're trying to drown them.

[El Cid]

2 hours ago, crookesey said:

I only pee standing up and it’s true what they say, no matter how many times I shake it the last drop always runs down my leg.

 

 

I think you have the wrong thread!

[geared]

20 hours ago, alchresearch said:

 

Another reason councils are skint is bad management.....

 

Birmingham City Council needs a further £45m to fix ‘disastrous’ Oracle system

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366570538/Birmingham-City-Council-needs-a-further-45m-to-fix-disastrous-Oracle-system

 

Sheffield Council spends more than £1 million apologising for tree scandal

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-council-spends-more-than-ps1-million-apologising-for-tree-scandal-4190219

 

Liverpool council may have squandered up to £100m of public money

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/25/liverpool-council-may-have-squandered-up-to-100m-public-money

 

Dracula study sucks up £80,000 of taxpayer money

The ‘Dracula Returns to Derby’ project is one of dozens of ‘ridiculous’ active research schemes handed grants at a cost of over £8m

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/01/dracula-study-university-derby-sucks-up-80k-taxpayer-cash/

 

Councils spend millions of taxpayers’ money on adult cycle lessons
Edinburgh forks out most cash on training sessions, with Labour-run authorities among biggest spenders

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/29/councils-spend-millions-taxpayers-cash-adult-cycle-lessons/

 

 

 

 

 

Birmingham is about a quarter billion in the hole with this IT mess they've made, and still rising.  That's not including all the additional costs and waste that's been caused by the failed project.  It's not even their biggest problem either, the fallout from their big gender equality court case, isn't that near a billion quid?

 

Huge sums of money to be wasted on shear incompetance.

[leviathan13]

I see Angie-baby is attempting to pull the ladder up after her...

 

Made a mint out of Right To Buy but wants to stop others from doing the same.

 

Bit like when Diane Odd-shoes wanted to do the same with private schools - it's OK for her kids to attend them but everyone else can do one...

[High Chaparral]

2 hours ago, crisispoint said:

Smashing the gangs is going well, I assume they're trying to drown them.

It's easy to criticise and come up with a plan to smash the gangs when you're in opposition.  Not so easy to implement a plan or do any better when you take over governing.