8/4/2019 Motion for Full Council 21st September 2011

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MotionforFullCouncil21stSeptember2011

“ThisCouncilagreesthatallbudgetproposalspresentedtoFullCouncil

intheBudgetdebateonthe23rdFebruary2011werelegaland

balanced”

OpeningSpeech(CW):

Onthe20th

July,hereatthelastFullCouncilmeeting,CllrPughlaunched

ahighlypoliticalattackontheeffortsofIndependentgroupmembersto

producealternativebudgetproposalsearlierthisyear.

HetoldthischamberthatoncloserinspectionoftheIndependent

Budgettherewere,andIquote:“somemajorflawsintheirproposals”

andthatit“wouldhavebeenextremelydangerousandirresponsibleto

haveadoptedtheirapproach”.

Ihavebroughtforwardthismotiontochallengesuchovertlypolitical

behaviourandtocorrecttheimpressionleftbyCllrPugh’stirade,that

thealternativebudgetswouldnothavebeenworkablealternativesto

hisown,nowfailingmodel.

Fromwhatwecandeduce,CllrPughbaseshisallegationonthree

factorsnoneofwhich,inouropinion,areeitherfairortrue:

FirstlyheclaimsthatthefinalversionoftheIndependentBudgetwas

submittedonlyatthemeetingonthe23rd

ofFebruary,andIquote:“that

latesubmissionofthefinalversionoftheproposalsgavemembersvery

littletimetoassesstheirvalidityandrobustness”.

Secondly,heclaimedthattherewasanerrorintheamountthatwesaidwewouldreturntothereserves.

Lastly,andmostworryinglyinourview,asitaffectsourrelationswith

officersandstaff,CllrPughstatedthatourstaffrestructuringproposals

wereextremelydangerousandirresponsible.

Howso?

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Firstly,letusbeveryclear.Thefinalversionofourbudgetproposal,as

presentedtomembers,wasseenbytheSection151Officer,Dave

Burbageandhewas,andremains,satisfiedthatourproposalswere

lawfulandbalanced.

Thelatealteration,allocatedtheavailablecashfromthePanMeadows

developmentallowingustorecommendadditionalfundingfor

communitybusesandanadditional£341kforthereserves.

WhatCllrPughhaslatchedonto,isthatonthefrontcoverofour

presentationtomembers,therewasatypographicalerror.Afigureof

fivehundredthousandwasshown,insteadofthecorrectamountof

threehundredandfortyonethousand.Thiswasnotreplicatedinthe

bodyofthereportorourcalculations.ThefiguresshownatIND33were

correct.

Atthispoint,membersmightbeinterestedtohavetheirmemories

refreshedastothecontentsofIND33,somethingthatCllrPughmight

prefernottoaccuratelyrecall:

IND33stated:“TheIsleofWightCouncilhavelegalresponsibilitiesthat

appearnottobebudgetedfor,suchasseaweedclearanceandissuesrelatingtotheabortedRydeInterchangeproject.Currentlythesecosts

aremetfromreserves.Weproposeaprovisionforthemherethatcan

beheldonreservetoaddresstheseissuesastheyarise.”

CllrPughwouldnowlikeelectedmembersandmoreimportantly,

membersofthepublic,toviewthisprovisionasextremelydangerous

andirresponsible.

Andwhatabouthisallegationthatwepresentedourproposalssolatethatnoonehadtimetogivethemcarefulconsideration?

Well,let’sbeabsolutelyclearaboutwhatheissuggestinghere.

Whatheissayingisthathadmembershadachancetocarefullyreview

thefinalversionoftheIndependentBudgetproposalsbeforehand,then

theywouldhavebeenabletoseeforthemselveswhatadangerous

budgetwehadcreated!

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HangontothatthoughtwhilstyouconsiderthenextpartofCllrPugh’s

cunningplantodivertattentionawayfromhisownmonumentalbudget

catastrophe.

Firstly,thelatesubmissionofthefinalversionoftheIndependentBudgetwasentirelyduetoCllrPugh’sowntardinessinfailingtoprovide

detailsofthePanMeadowsNewHomesBonus,totheopposition

groupsinatimelymanner.

TheNewHomesBonuswasformallyannouncedbytheDCLGon

Thursdaythe17th

February.ThefigureavailablefortheIsleofWight,

wasknownhereontheFriday.Theleaderonlynotifiedtheothergroups

lateontheMonday,threedaysaftertheinformationwasgiventohim,

leavingverylittletimefortheothergroupstofactorthisintotheir

budgetproposals.Heontheotherhandhadthewholeweekendto

dedicatetothattask.

Atthetime,weregardedtheshortnoticeasaminorirritationwhen

comparedtotheelationathavingadditionalfundstoallocatetoan

extremelydifficultbudgetpackage.Noonecouldhaveimaginedthe

mischiefthatCllrPughwouldlatermakeofthis,foroneverysignificant

reason.

DuringtheweeksprecedingtheBudgetmeeting,CllrPughhaddevoted

agreatdealoftimeandenergytodemandingdetailsofourproposals

fromwhichhewasabletoproducea15pagedossierdelvingintoevery

aspectofouralternativebudget.CllrPughwasinfullpossessionofthe

factswellbeforethedayoftheBudgetmeeting.Whetherhesharedthis

informationwithmembersofhisgroupwedonotknow.

ForCllrPughtoclaimthatthelatesubmissionofthefinalversionofourproposals“gavemembersverylittletimetoassesstheirvalidityand

robustness”andthatanerrorintheamountthatwesaidwouldbe

returnedtothereservescausedourbudgettobeextremelydangerous

andirresponsibleisrisibleespeciallywhenoneconsiderstheamountof

informationregardingourproposalshehadathisdisposalintheweeks

leadinguptothebudget.Inmakingthispublicallegationhehas

grotesquelymisledthepublicandmembersoftheIsleofWightCouncil

andgrosslymisrepresentedourposition.

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Therewasnothingintherevisedproposalsthatmateriallyalteredtheir

robustness,validity,balanceorlawfulness.

Finally,andprobablymostseriously,inhisattempttosubstantiatehis

allegations,CllrPughcomparedourstaffrestructuringproposalstothoseofConservativecontrolledSouthamptonCityCouncil,whichled

recentlytostrikes.

ApartfrominsultinghisConservativecolleaguesacrossthewater,heis

completelyoffthemarkwithhisallegations.

SouthamptonCityCouncil’ssituationarosebecausetheirproposals

wereaimedatlowerpaygradesandwerebasedonreducingworking

hours.Theresultantstrikewaslargelybylowerpaidstaff,refuse

collectorsandstreetcleaners,mostofwhomareatpaygradesSc1-Sc4

Ourproposalwastoimplementarestructuringandreductioninsenior

managementwitha5%Reductioninsalariesforbetterpaidemployees,

whichexcludedthelowerpaidstaffgradesSc1–Sc6.Weincludedall

electedmemberallowancesregardlessofresponsibilities,whichis

probablywhatupsettheleadermost!Wefurtherproposeda10%

reductionforstaffearningover£65kperannum.Thatmeantthatonlybetterpaidofficersandallelectedmemberswouldbeaffected.

CllrPughknewallofthisbecause,inourresponsetohisenquiriesprior

tothebudgetpresentations,wetoldhim,inwriting.Therecanbeno

confusionordoubtaboutthis!

Hisclaimthatthiswouldhaveledtostrikesandwouldhavebeen

unworkableandthatinsomewaytheproposalwasarbitrary,isbest

disingenuousandatworstadownrightlie!

Itwasfarfromarbitraryorunworkable.

Itwasproposedtofacilitateathreemonthconsultationwithtrade

unionsandstaff.Crucially,itwouldhaveallowedustosave180jobs.

AsaresultofCllrPugh’sinsistenceoncuttingratherthanmaking

efficiencysavings,thesejobshaveeitherbeenlostorarenowatrisk.

ImportantdepartmentslikeTradingStandardsareshudderingunderthe

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burdenthatCllrPugh’sjobcuttingstrategyhasplacedonthem.Most

peopleinbetterremuneratedpositions,wouldrathersufferareduction

intheirpaythanthelossoftheirjob.

Ourbudgetwouldhaveallowedtimetonegotiateandtimefortheimpactofthecuts,thathadtobemade,tobebetterunderstoodand

betterimplemented.Thereisalwaysrisk,buttoclaiminthewaythat

CllrPughhas,thatourbudgetproposalswereextremelydangerous,

irresponsibleandunworkableispoliticalrhetoricatitsworst.

OurSection151officer,MrBurbagehastoldus:

“Inrespectofdeliverabilityandachievabilityanumberofproposals

withinallbudgetshaveanelementofriskparticularlywherethey

involvestaffnegotiationsorforexampleeligibilitycriteriawhere

individualassessmentisinvolved”

Healsostated:

“withoutcommentingonthemeritsofthebudgetsputbeforeCouncil

onthe23rd

Februaryinmyopinionallbudgetswerebalancedandlegal”

Thereforethemotionis:

“ThisCouncilagreesthatallbudgetproposalspresentedtoFullCouncil

intheBudgetdebateonthe23rdFebruary2011werelegaland

balanced”

InowcallonthiswholeCounciltoacceptthisandmoveon.

Pleaseadoptthismotion.

Inowcallforaseconder.