On The Hour, Chris Morris' spoof radio news series and forerunner to the excellent The Day Today included a story about how a fictitious Labour council was evicting old people from their homes and making them sleep on the streets in boxes to prove a point to central government...
That was back in 1992. Now the Conservatives are back in government, we see Labour councils living up to their old reputations. This time it's about the governments attempts balance the nations books and asking councils to do their part by reducing what has been burgeoning spending on their part over many years.
We've seen the stories put out by (mostly) Labour councils - child protection services to be cut, sure start centres to close, all library services to be disbanded, even worse treatment of the elderly in council run homes etc. It seems Labour (and indeed some LD and even Tory) councillors would rather this than make long overdue efficiencies in the way they run their services and better prioritising those services most needed by the communities they serve.
They would rather cut front line services in the hope voters will blame central government than their historic profligacy, inefficiency and waste.
You've got to laugh.
All the while maintaining their PR departments so they've someone to disseminate the excuses!
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