Forum Topic

Naff tory pledges

Only six pledges from the tories in Ealing?Where is a pledge to sort out the extortionate hike in parking permits and visitor permits and the imposition of parking schemes?Where is the pledge to protect open spaces and the borought from over the top property developments?Where is the pledge to get the best possible solution for Ealing broadway station instead of the half baked proposals so easily foisted on to the ever gullible Cllr Mahfouz?Not really good enough.Mind that six more than the tories in Hounslow have managed. The Tory councillors selected fro Brentford barely know how to spell Brentford let alone know where it is.Very poor, the local electorate is so cheesed off with Labour that  if they stopped and listened to the real problems and had the guts to take a bit of a stand on behalf of beleagured residents they might well have secured 2 or 3 seats.

Anthony Waller ● 4532d28 Comments

Anthony,I am sorry you think that our pledges are naff.  They are what people raised with us on the doorstep.  The council does hundreds of things - many of which are vitally important, but which don't affect most people.  It is too abstract to talk to people about our excellent record in power of improving children's services.  But, if people see that their streets are visibly dirtier it does make them wonder what the council can get right.  We have pledged to freeze parking charges again after three rises in three years from Labour.  In 2006-2010 we froze parking charges and we will do so again in 2014-2018.  Labour have ramped them up enough.  The street drinking thing comes up again and again.  People are very frustrated that both the council and police shrug their shoulders at this issue.  It is unpleasant and intimidating and we will put an end to it.  It will not be easy but it is what people want and we will change it. 

Phil Taylor ● 4532d

Personally I think the Tory pledges are right on the money. These are the issues that even my Guardian reading mother brings up; I suspect that for the first time in her life she may even vote Conservative.I do agree with Anthony that protecting our green spaces is vital.

John Walker ● 4532d

I don't think the six Tory pledges are naff. I feel they're sensible. Any problem might be in the full delivery of them imo.

Gerry Tan ● 4532d

To be honest Gerry if the Conservatives only deliver on half of their pledges it will be three more than Labour.The Lib Dems have no original ideas and the current administration is a busted flush.The truth will come back and bit them on the bum.In 2010 (isn't the internet wonderful?) Julian Bell promised" Action on crime with more uniformed offices on the streets in your area and CCTV in crime hotspots · Investment in schools to improve standards and give parents better choices· A new partnership with local businesses and housing associations to create new jobs and build 3,000 affordable homes · A 24/7 Grimebusters hotline to report local trouble-spots and get action to clear them within 24 hours.· Keeping your council tax low with a freeze in the first year"AND“Labour both nationally and locally are committed to protecting frontline services and we will do this through sensible use of residents’ money. No more taxpayer funded party political propaganda, no more million pound housing benefit handouts, no more lavish increases to councillors’ allowances. We’ll deliver what we pledge whilst freezing Council Tax in the first year, something the Tories voted against”I would laugh if it was a political parody, but this is OUR borough they have screwed with.Judge how well they delivered against these on May 22.

Nigel Brooks ● 4532d

Hmm. Reading these pledges, I see promises of extra expenditure coupled with four years of frozen council tax and no indication of how the income/expenditure gap is to plugged.

Susan Kelly ● 4532d

What gap? There are large reserves inherited from the previous Tory administration. I suppose that we can be thankful that labour didn't squander these as well.

Nigel Brooks ● 4532d

Oh, that's all right then. I'm surprised that Ealing has large reserves, though, especially with the money lost in the Icelandic banking fiasco in '08.

Susan Kelly ● 4531d

If you manage to eliminate street drinking from across the Borough, and I mean from across the Borough and not merely the privileged Pitshanger, you will gain an immediate, guaranteed and lifelong voter support. It is a number one priority for a vast majority of residents. I have never voted Tory myself, but I might just do for that reason alone.The only way to do this though is to actively police the  Controlled Drinking Zones throughout day and night, actually handing out fines and publicising it everywhere in the local and minority language press, until those which this effort should be aimed at finally get the message, that it will not be tolerated.This should be enough of a challenge for any ambitious politician. It can be done. The nihilistic shoulder shrugging by the Council and the Police on the street drinking issue has to stop.What are you going to do about it ?

Tom Carroll ● 4531d

I have to apologise for the poor series of literals in my first entry.Tryiing to email by smartphone is not very easy.Was not the icelandic fiasco originated in Cllr Cudmores tenure ?. Even then, no-one really saw that coming so it could have happened to any party in charge.It was supposed to be doing the best for Ealing's funds.We know that in this case the real culprits were not politicians but Bankers and their associates.I do think the six pledges are OK but there is far more going wrong that needs to be addressed.The last Tory administration headed by Jason Stacey was one of the best council administrations for this borough in a very long time irrespective of party colours.The previous Labour administrations started off well but got into a real mess and consumed with dogma and lurching towards corruption.The present one is inept.Worst of all was the execution of policies not mentioned in their election manifesto and the peculiar justifications, notable on parking policies which still persists today.I would like to see the Tories go further. An absolute assurance of no hidden policies. Pensioners without cars in CPZs should get an allocation of free visitor permits as so many have become isolated in CPZs especially in the longer houred zones.Senior citizens over 75 who do still drive should get a 50% discount on a parking permit if in a CPZ.These are the people who do get hit hardest in such schemes whether they have a car or not, and it damages the social fabric amongst senior citizens.The garden tax is a backward disgrace

Anthony Waller ● 4531d

I wasn't trying to blame any party in particular over the Icelandic banking fiasco, merely pointing out that it must have depleted the coffers.

Susan Kelly ● 4531d

So the plan is to run a budget deficit and deplete the reserves to finance a few election bribes. Imagine the horrified and near apoplectic response on this forum if any party other than the Tories had proposed any such thing.

Paul Conlan ● 4531d

I don't think that I would describe mending the damn roads and pavements and collecting garden refuse as a matter of course as 'election bribes': they are things councils of any hue should be doing.

Susan Kelly ● 4531d

I do like and believe they would deliver the price freeze.Waste and garden waste I see as the same issue, with parking and CPZ aim should be to reduce hours and cost. Would have liked to have seen a couple more pledges.Have already decided on two of my votes with existing cllrs but that is more to their actions over last four years than parties and policies.

D Downey ● 4531d

I agree, at Local Elections level it is more about the individual and whether they're a "good" Councillor.Rather than what Party they may represent.

Rosco White ● 4531d

I wish more people voted for the man or woman and not the colour of their rosette.

Susan Kelly ● 4531d

Susan,The council did manage the Icelandic thing well.  Its exposure to Iceland once the crisis hit was minimal.  It had been larger and they were most of the way to getting out when the crisis hit.  The council's treasury operations have over the years earned residents millions by finding good return for balances.  In the end the council got most of its cash back and any losses were in the £10,000s range.  Small beer compared to the returns over many years from this activity (which all large organisations do).

Phil Taylor ● 4531d

One of Labour's Walpole candidates, Paul, is not exactly playing with a straight bat here.  The council is required by law to run a balanced budget.  Our reserves are over-large (in the order of £100 million) and we will use them to make changes to the way the council performs its duties to make it more efficient so that we can make the savings we will need to in future years (whoever runs the country after 2015).  At a time when the council is getting smaller the reserves have been rising.  A smaller organisation needs smaller reserves.  We are offering very modest long term promises.  The council tax freeze, the parking freeze and garden tax repeal are all relatively small sums.  The council's own medium term financial strategy shows council tax being frozen for 3 out of 4 years of the next council.  Labour raised parking charges 3 times in 3 years and they have already got to the point where demand has fallen.  Freezing charges will most likely not reduce income but have the reverse effect.  The garden tax has depressed re-cycling rates, leading to additional landfill tax at £80 per tonne and many more fly tips to collect.  The net cost of making it a free service will be minimal.  Labour would do this itself if it could work out how to avoid the massive loss of face involved.

Phil Taylor ● 4531d

Actually I am as I have three fine local councillors.At the same time I am conscious that there has, under the current party-led system, to be a majority (given the nonsense of coalitions in many areas where nothing progresses) to rid ourselves of this current administration.

Nigel Brooks ● 4531d

My above post was a flippant reply to another comment. The serious point though is that this is a time of austerity in local government and the council simply does not have large amounts of money to throw around. If we could return to the level of grants being received 4 years ago then lots of spending promises could be made. The situation will only get worse next year as more cuts are round the corner. At the same time it is the Coalition Government's policy to give councils additional responsibilities (e.g. housing benefit, public health) without additional resources and, due to demographic factors, demand for council services, especially social care for elderly and vulnerable residents, is increasing rapidly. In that context it is prudent to protect  council reserves rather than running them down and not to make uncosted and unfunded pledges.I can understand that people would prefer to have garden waste collected for free rather than pay for it (who wouldn't) but it is much better if people are encouraged to compost the waste in their own garden. If it really were as cheap and easy to provide this for free as Phil would like to believe then every council would do so. Instead it is becoming increasingly rare. Other London boroughs either charge for it (e.g. Richmond - where it is much more expensive than Ealing), have abolished it completely (e.g. Hammersmith & Fulham) or have simply never provided this service (e.g. Wandsworth). Neighbouring Hillingdon does still provide a free service and Ealing would be able to as well if we raised council tax to Hillingdon levels. One way or another it has to be paid for and it is fairer if those who use the service pay a modest charge rather than the many residents who live in flats or who dispose of their own garden waste having to contribute. It makes little if any difference to recycling rates which are at record levels. I apologise for this much longer than usual post. Think of it as a kind of homage to Phil Taylor. The magic money tree (to borrow a phrase) that Phil seems to believe in, sadly does not exist and the council will have to make many efficiency savings in future simply to maintain  existing services.

Paul Conlan ● 4531d

Sorry can't read (or vote for) someone who can't use paragraphs :-)

Nigel Brooks ● 4531d

Paul,Housing benefit is paid for by the government, the council merely acts as the government's agent.  If you look at page 42 of the budget appendices you will see that the council got a public health grant of £21.4 million last year and £22.0 million this year.  The council got significantly more than it was expecting when this responsibility passed over from the NHS.  Yes, we have to live with limited means as we would have done under a Labour government.  We will have to live with limited means whoever runs the country from 2015.  But, our proposals really are very modest in the context of the £800 million or so that the council spends every year.  They are fully costed by senior council officers who have not raised any problems with them.  It is not as if we don't know how to run the council.  We ran it very well from 2006-2010.  We know our way around the finances.  We made £60 million of savings during our time so none of this is new to us.

Phil Taylor ● 4531d

Well said Paul ,never mind the paragraphs, you could have added the point about Wandsworth selling off council flats to their mates in the private sector for development probably to be sold to nom doms. Hammersmith are said to want to go down the same route, save a bit of council tax but I don`t think it does anything for the ever lengthening queue for affordable housing

David Burke ● 4531d

Tom,Street drinking is an issue across the Borough.  It is a problem in otherwise very law-abiding Northfield where I am currently a councillor.  It is a very visible problem around the Mount in Acton but more generally across Acton too.  It is a problem across the wards of Northolt, Greenford and Perivale where every other alley is used for drinking or as a toilet.  It occurs in many of our parks.  I have heard this complaint on the doorstep in every ward in the Borough.  The whole borough is a controlled drinking zone so the police do have some tools to deal with it.  There is not enough evidence that they are using them consistently and effectively.  Street drinking is not a priority for the police - it should be.  A Conservative led council can provide political leadership.  It can use the council's communications tools such as Around Ealing to explain in a measured way that this behaviour is not acceptable.  It can task its community safety team on this issue.  It can use the licensing laws to track down misbehaving businesses and councils have had success in voluntary agreements not to sell cheap, high strength products.  We don't think that this will be remotely easy.  It will require a consistent approach over time.  We cannot change behaviour that has been tolerated for a long time by the wave of a magic wand.  We can start the journey though and we can change the behaviour over time. 

Phil Taylor ● 4530d

It's VERY simple.Street drinking, and many other issues, would reduce overnight, with rigid .....................ENFORCEMENT.

Rosco White ● 4530d

Nothing much in here to gladden the heart. In spite of much campaigning and foot-stomping: Nothing about Libraries, Disabled Facilities, Council Tax Benefis for the Ill, etc. What happened to humanity - roll on the food banks!

Peter Mcleod ● 4530d

This would be the same Labour administration that promised no cuts to services and the building of 3000 affordable homes in their 2010 pledge to the electorate of Ealing.Remind me how those promises went again please.

Nigel Brooks ● 4530d

Touché Nigel :-) apologies for the lack of paragraphs. I generally prefer more concise posts where they are not a problem but this was an exception. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw: sorry for the long post but I didn't have time to write a short one.

Paul Conlan ● 4530d

Not naff at all especially when contrasted with the Labour nonsense.If contracts were managed and more were shared and an overpaid Director or two had to be let go residents would surely support a party who knew how to run the local economy more efficiently. Only then would I support a small increase. I am happy to see no tax increases for three out of four years but only after we see better management. Labour have a track record of not spending much Council money on roads. They only claim glory when it is funded by TFL.No strong views about garden tax. There are ways of circumventing most of the costs.Anyone who does not support a big drive to reduce street drinking and drug dealing as a priority must have fairly low standards.Cleaning contract etc. This has been and continues to be a disaster. How any Council can delude its residents into thinking that commercial confidentiality comes before the public interest when we know the contract is not working can only be dishonest and or covert. I dont want Councillors who duck and dive contemptuously behind a veil of secrecy - so we don't know where the failings are or how many fines have been paid, or how much of our Council Tax is simply wasted.So yes I want a new party to run the contract.Tories are actually on record as saying they will keep the libraries.I shall agree with you once I have seen the manifesto if sick and disabled to not get better support.What actually do you know about food banks? What support do you think the State provides when a family really is on its unkers? These days I don't know myself. However it is for you to find out.Finally when you see the full manifesto then that is the time to carp.

George Knox ● 4529d