Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster Lib Dems issue joint statement on council service mergers (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster Lib Dems issue joint statement on council service mergers

November 8, 2010 4:04 PM

Dear Sir

While we support cross-borough working to reduce costs, we are dismayed by the lack of consultation by the majority Conservative Party on the principle of merging services and we therefore cannot support the concept of what would be in effect the creation of a super-majority without scrutiny of the opposition.

With differing levels of delivery of front-line services across the three Councils it will be hard to determine which standards should be adopted over the revised area, which together with the review of Housing Benefits has the potential to further discriminate against the less advantaged within our Borough.

There is also concern that the proposal to create a super-council would not be based on the efficiency of essential services but more about the commissioning of these services by a series of faceless officers without first hand local knowledge of the individual areas. This policy cannot be supported unless there is a guarantee that there is local control over the decisions over the services that the Council exist to provide.

Furthermore, the proposed creation of a super-borough further distances the decision makers from the needs of the local electorate, which is contrary to the Liberal Democrat policy of involvement within the local community.

The release of this policy, in the same week as the announcement of the Comprehensive Spending Revenue could be considered to be a cynical exercise in aggrandisement rather than a case of simple cost cutting. Without the benefit of consultation via the ballot box to the proposals, it would appear in some cases to be a budget revenue at a cost to democracy.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Carol Caruana

Leader Liberal Democrat Council Group - Kensington & Chelsea

Cllr Tim Jones

Liberal Democrat Councillor - Kensington & Chelsea

Cllr Linda Wade

Liberal Democrat Councillor - Kensington & Chelsea

Brian Orrell

Chair - Kensington & Chelsea Liberal Democrats

Henrietta Bewley

Chair - Hammersmith & Fulham Liberal Democrats

Sue Baring