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We expect full day’s work for these full-time salaries
• THE Tribune article about my departure from Islington Council’s executive was a good read but had more speculation than facts (Lib Dems may lose power at Town Hall, November 14).
It is a shame that council leader James Kempton has fuelled this speculation by silly talk of a “nuclear option” and “holding the party to ransom”. I have no wish to do that.
What I am looking for are some pretty simple changes. First, a crackdown on wasteful practices at the Town Hall. That includes cuts to refreshment budgets, ending the use of outside conference venues and curbing excessive redundancy pay-offs to senior managers. Councillors’ allowances should be frozen.
I have been battling on all these issues for the last two-and-a-half years as the finance portfolio holder, but it has often been a lonely battle.
Second, the public has a right to expect that executive councillors who are paid a full-time salary actually turn up and work full-time for Islington.
Third, instead of shutting up shop and cancelling executive meetings, the council must deliver a proactive response to the credit crunch to help residents. I have published positive proposals on my website (www.cyclingcouncillor.com), including a £100 council tax cut for pensioners, help for families with the cost of school meals and uniforms, and a debt relief package to help those facing redundancy or loss of their homes.
It is also true that the green agenda is important to me. Where I want to see faster progress is in creating more green spaces and allotments, better protection for our trees, introducing 20mph speed limits on residential streets and making town centres such as Angel safer and more pleasant for pedestrians.
All these are policies I am sure the vast majority of Islingtonians, whatever party they vote for, will want to support.
Cllr Andrew Cornwell
Lib Dem, St George’s ward
• Lib Dem councillor Andrew Cornwell deserves congratulations for revealing the shameful abuse of council-tax payers’ money by Islington council.
In his letter of resignation, he made it clear that “The Council remains characterised by waste and inefficiency in too many areas. Excessive spending on refreshments, conference venues, travel costs and consultants. The number of highly-paid managers has grown and unacceptable redundancy payments have been made to departing senior officers.”
This is from the mouth of an Islington councillor. This is not what our council tax is for. These are not essential services. Far from it, it is publicly-employed bureaucrats living high on our money.
Only recently, a report revealed that the average pension provision of public workers is a shocking 16 times more than that in the private sector.
Plainly, our taxes are going to support the comfortable life styles of government office workers. At a time when our economy is shrinking and every sensible person is reining in their expenses, then local government should be seen to do the same. Otherwise it is promoting the inequalities in life it is supposed to be reducing. It is hypocrisy and corruption of the worst kind.
Tim Newark
Tax Payers’ Alliance, N5
• There might well be areas where the council could review its expenditure but the Lib Dems are vastly superior to the former Labour council regarding money management.
Under Margaret Hodge’s reckless leadership, the council debt soared and when she left in 1992 it stood at £720million. At £4,000 for every man, woman and child in the borough, it was the highest per capita debt of any local authority.
The current council inherited this burden and is to be praised for putting council finances on a surer footing. We can’t afford to let Labour take charge of our finances again.
Betty Harris
Duncan Terrace, N1
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