Houchen and Stilts want to take over the council

breakthewallsdown said:


@TheLodger Please tell me you can put this Doyle in his place
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Were talking to Praxis, who is the management company looking after Capt Cook Square, it was them that announced the name change last week. The problem we have is Preston's operational model was to agree things without council officers present- which was in it'self rule breaking, this was confirmed in writing by our auditors when their handed the council it's improvement notice last year. But we've found out that some officers were aware of the agreement, they are now searching for details.
 
newyddion said:
Making a big deal about the financial year 2022/23 not ending in December 2023?

Have I understood that right?

Then speaking of a fire sale which hasn’t happened.. and complaining of overspends which have been initiated and signed off by their very own.

Now the chap who has overseen a huge transfer of public assets placed into private hands at very little cost and monumental personal gain.. is wanting they keys to the council to look like the big boss man (and to snaffle away any last bits of real estate)
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Don't worry when Houchen realises that he'll drop the request - like he dropped the criticism of Cleverly after Cleverly 'said' he hadn't called Stockton a schitthole
 
TeessideCleveland said:
Don't worry when Houchen realises that he'll drop the request - like he dropped the criticism of Cleverly after Cleverly 'said' he hadn't called Stockton a schitthole
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Seems to be I thing but toddler lies with the tories..

Just obvious and pointless lies.. making a big scene about blaming others for their wrongdoings or blatantly lying when they’re caught out. I know it’s always been a part of politics.. but it just seems so much more precedent know. Zero integrity.. none no shame no self respect or sense of worth.

I would say gangsterism.. it there’s seemingly no code of ethics at all.. none of them are tough or have and respectable features. Neither do they be held accountable. Just a s***y cabal of gutless cowardly thieves.. the lowest of the low.
 
I get if they’ve over spent.. basically spending the reserves. Naively I would have thought curbing those overspends, being more efficient and introducing a little innovation would see the council right?
 
I am not as clever as some on this board, BUT can someone confirm which political party led Middlesbrough council until the latest local council elections????????? I also thought that if council tax was to rise by more tan 5% it had to go to a public vote.
 
coraldon said:
I also thought that if council tax was to rise by more tan 5% it had to go to a public vote.
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Probably not, if the gov has taken over the council? They would jack it up 10% and blame the party that only took over in May.

I can't help thinking that Preston is behind all this. Even with the MDC in his pocket maybe he still needs more control to maximise flipping his properties?
 
newyddion said:
I get if they’ve over spent.. basically spending the reserves. Naively I would have thought curbing those overspends, being more efficient and introducing a little innovation would see the council right?
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You can only cut so much. Local governments have been stripped bare, yes they can get on budget theoretically but only at the expense of public services and assets.

Then once you have cut all essential services to the bone like they have where do you go? Most overspends are related to children's and adults health and social care, these are non optional services really unless you think the council should be picking and choosing which kids and pensioners get access to services week by week.

Council tax raises can't cover 40+% drops in funding like councils have had to face, selling assets give a small boost for one year but can lead to less income later and often would only be available in capital budgets.

Middlesbrough, Nottingham et al is just the start. Innovation, selling the silver and slashing everything to less than bare bones might keep the wolves at bay for a few years but until local councils are properly funded from central government again we are not going to fix these issues.
 
coraldon said:
I am not as clever as some on this board, BUT can someone confirm which political party led Middlesbrough council until the latest local council elections????????? I also thought that if council tax was to rise by more tan 5% it had to go to a public vote.
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I could be wrong but think labour were the largest party but as the mayor was "independent" and he appointed the executive team, including deputy mayor Tory smiles, they basically they had all the power

Any rise over 5% must trigger a referendum but any council that gets taken over like this can have a rise imposed without one.
 
ThatFragranceGuy said:
I could be wrong but think labour were the largest party but as the mayor was "independent" and he appointed the executive team, including deputy mayor Tory smiles, they basically they had all the power

Any rise over 5% must trigger a referendum but any council that gets taken over like this can have a rise imposed without one.
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Yes sorry mate, you are wrong.

It's really odd because how do you count independents?

We have 45 councillors in Middlesbrough, I think we had 20 Labour councillors- clearly 20 isn't a majority of 46, but because Independents are classed as.. well independent, it looks like Labour had the majority. In reality the council chamber was made up of Labour against everyone else regardless of what their political pretense was/is.


Yes, the Tory government put in this daft referendum idea, no councils took that up- If memory serves me right- one tried (a Tory controlled council, but give up) but with the Tories starving councils of cash, most of them used up their reserves that they built up during the Blair/Brown years. Almost every council in the country are now saying they are a year at best from bankruptcy, including the small number of Tory councils (34%)
This is starvation of funds- it's past the idea that residents can pay more through council tax, mainly because the Tories are already squeezing the population through the highest tax threshold in modern history.
 
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