Consultants a waste of council’s money

The Conservative administration has proposed a budget based on their priorities last week. There is some common ground on this budget.

Recognising the tough times for many of Swindon’s families, Labour welcomes the use of government funding to freeze residents’ council taxes next year. Labour also welcomes the Conservative administration’s decision to reverse their previous policy to switch off many of Swindon’s streetlights – something Labour had campaigned for.

And we welcome the fact that the Conservative administration listened to residents’ and Labour’s concerns and will now provide funding for a bus service to Penhill and Coleview, albeit an off-peak service for one year only.

However, with the Conservative led government cutting its funding to Swindon Borough Council, it is hugely important that the council ensures all of its income is spent on essential and frontline projects, while doing its best not to lose council jobs.

That is why it is unforgivable that the Conservative administration has increased the council’s consultancy budget to £1.3m during recent times.

And it is unforgivable that £11m of next year’s budget will be allocated to debt charges, to pay off the administration’s £116m debt, an increase of £36m in the previous year.

Meanwhile, this administration is embarking on one of the biggest cuts to frontline services in Swindon’s history, on top of the cuts it has already made since May 2010. This will mean that £150k will be cut next year on bus services to the Great Western Hospital, £154k is being cut from Swindon’s Children Centres and £250k is being cut from Supporting People projects that help poor young families, people suffering from mental health illnesses and homeless people. So the proposals put forward by the Conservative administration will mean that, next year, £12.3m of your money will be spent on unnecessary consultants and the council’s creditors to pay off part off the Tories’ debt. Meanwhile, services to our town’s elderly, to our poor and to our young people will be stripped back. And this will cost 120 council jobs for Swindon people in the process.

Coun Jim Grant Swindon Labour Group Leader

Making Headway

My name is Steve Smith and I have attended Headway School for over three years. Headway is a local charity which offers rehabilitation to people who have had a brain injury.

During my time at Headway I often organised the afternoon quiz, which helps with recalling memories. Memory loss is one of the most common effects of brain injury and is very frustrating.

I used some quiz books from Paragon books to help me with the quizzes, so I telephoned Paragon to explain my situation. They said they would be happy to donate some of their quiz books to Headway for which we are very grateful.

I would like to appeal to other people and companies who may have items that could support Headway clients in their rehabilitation. I would like your readers to understand the difficulties faced and the length of time rehabilitation can take, and that any support would be very much appreciated.

I am still attending Headway. When I started coming here I could not write my own name but, with the help and support of Headway, three years on I regularly host the afternoon quiz and read out the questions to other clients. I still have work to do but I have come a long way.

Steve Smith Headway House Swindon

Block NHS changes

What an excellent letter in the Swindon Advertiser (February 21) by GA Woodward regarding proposed changes to the NHS.

One point GA Woodward failed to raise, so I will do it, and that is to urge the general public to write/email their MP like I have done, telling the Government to drop the bill.

How can millions of people who have used or will have to use their local hospital in future just sit back and watch the much-loved NHS be torn apart by politicians who have been trying to do it for many years?

As someone like myself who, over many years, has been involved in many campaigns locally, nationally and worldwide, knows if people stand up and get their act together you can make the hard headed politicians in this country back down.

So get in touch with your MP before it is too late. Before you know what is going on you are being forced to pay to visit your own GP.

Mark Webb Swindon

Missing manners

Enfield Council has applied to the Government to introduce £80 spot fines for people who spit in the street.

The same fines can also be imposed for littering offences. Spitting and littering are truly disgusting behaviours to spoil the 21st century.

I may be an old snob but in my day people had what were known as manners. Have others noticed the severe decline in public decency and public standards?

Most people shift responsibility for their anti-social behaviour on to their unfortunate childhoods. They blame everyone but themselves. It is always someone else’s fault and they demonise the other.

No-one replied to my letter about anti-social behaviour on the buses. It is easy to talk about customer care but almost impossible to implement it.

Drivers have to be saints, as hard as pugilists or be prepared to risk their lives if they challenge modern-day louts. I presume that is why drivers are caged in little cells behind plastic screens.

A Reeve Old Town

Interesting all right

A Chinese proverb says: “May you live in interesting times.”

The political and economic crisis, social and economic injustices, unemployment, wars, climate change; and when we have a system that turns its back on its weak, its elderly, its youth, its ill, and its working and poor people; when citizenry are reduced to jobless; when students have to pay higher tuition fees and graduate jobless... we can conclude that we live in interesting times.

Realities of the town centre areas? People are jobless and unemployment is much higher than any other part of Swindon town. Thus, unemployment is a major concern for most of these people since they are sinking to the lowest depths.

Unfortunately, leaders think of the current situation in their own terms. I wish the leaders of this town would use the lens of these people and their condition to analyse their own leadership. Only then they may see things clearly and might do something to improve the situation of the Broad Green, North and South Parks and Penhill areas.

Leaders do not make a contribution to local programmes by showing up every election time and saying “vote for me”. I wonder whether the leaders will ever serve the needs of citizens rather than their parties’ and their own interests.

Axmed Bahjad Fleet Street Swindon

‘Gateway’ traffic hell

I am writing in respect of the recent letters regarding the Queensfield traffic experiment.

The council states this is “to prevent Queensfield, off Cricklade Road, from being used as a rat run by drivers in the morning and evening rush hours, following complaints from residents”.

As a resident of Cricklade Road can I make a complaint that I am extremely annoyed at the amount of traffic which now uses Cricklade Road?

Would my complaint be taken seriously by the council to introduce restrictions, or perhaps install speed bumps to slow down the traffic? I don’t think so!

The volume of traffic has increased exponentially over the years and to turn right out of my home towards Swindon is impossible in the morning and evening rush hours.

At times the queue is from the Moonrakers past Queensfield. Presumably this queue could reach as far as Groundwell, or even further, if Queensfield has restricted access.

It was recently announced that the council would be spending in the region of £170,000 making Clive Parade more pleasing to all, as this was a “gateway to Swindon”. If this is such an important “gateway”, why doesn’t the council try to find a way of improving the flow of traffic at the Moonrakers roundabouts?

S Griffiths Cricklade Road Swindon

IMF’s euro mistake

The Internetional Monetary Fund (IMF) facilitates international trade by lending to countries with debt problems.

It also advises countries how to get out of debt. But everything went wrong for the IMF when Christine Lagarde took over control in 2011.

The IMF is now being dragged into an economic quagmire, as it attempts the vast bailout of the doomed euro currency.

Terry Hayward Swindon