Let the public say where savings should be made (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Let the public say where savings should be made

August 9, 2010 12:09 PM

Cllr Terry Stacy

Islington Liberal Democrats have announced plans to ask the public where they think the council should be making savings.

As all local authorities are required to reduce their spending drastically, the challenge for councils like Islington is to maximise the amount of savings from waste, shared services and efficiency and minimise the pain to residents.

Liberal Democrats are calling on the Labour council to set up a system for residents to give their ideas on where the council wastes money and could make savings. All the ideas would then be considered by councillors as part of next year's budget-setting process.

Islington Liberal Democrat leader, Terry Stacy, said:

"Labour's track record in just the three short months since they took control doesn't bode well. Last week they agreed £3million cuts to children's services, £3million cuts to tenants' funding and axed the hanging flower baskets. Yet there were no cuts to councillor allowances, council communications or other efficiency savings.

"Everyone knows the next couple of years will be tough for councils. That's why it's crucial that we take residents with us. We shouldn't be looking at cuts to frontline services until we are sure that we aren't wasting money on council bureaucracy.

"One way of putting residents in the driving seat is to ask them what they think the council does that is wasteful. At the moment Labour councillors seem hell bent on going it alone. They seem to think they know best and are deaf to residents' views.

"Residents will have some of the best ideas about where the council could do better. We should be tapping into this huge knowledge."