Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WJ99mobile

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...ngham-66715441

I know Birmingham has it's own unique issues but won't be long before we see others go the same way.

---

Thatchers fault obviously.

Any other Councils gone bust (Lab or Con or Lib Dem ?)
Birmingham council is a basket case - Channel4 of all people , did a documentary on Brum council, Im surprised they lasted this long.

And there was me thinking a Labour run Council was all about fair pay for all - they fecking bang on about it often enough. If they had payed them properly in the first place that would have meant they had no money to spend on the left wing socialist nonsense policies.

[QUOTE=SLUDGE FACTORY;5451848]It means stop being so pompous

Just because you have done well enough to emigrate doesn't mean you can make ridiculous comments about the financial problems of Birmingham City Council based upon your upbringing in Aberdare /QUOTE]

that is EXACTLY why I feel able to make financial comments........I have MANAGED things at all stages i n life.... NO further comments....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

You reduce overheads...salaries of top execs etc....and other (much) extraneous expenditure...

Not sure what you mean by high flying executive..

---

That is not enough detail - sorry

but if you keep reducing staff costs - even top ones you fail to recruit and therefore have bigger problems again - sorry but some of the stuff that councils deal with are not widgets or consumer products - they are human beings and come at a premium cost whether people like it or not

We all have different viewpoints...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

No Birmingham is labour led

As are most councils that get into financial bother

But it's got nothing to do with that which is the point you were trying to push

But I am afraid you have fallen on your ass

---

And you think it's nothing to do with poor management, vanity projects, too many staff , sickness levels , no performance or budget responsibilities?? Manchester Police went to special measures , London is a mess , see the trend here
https://www.claims.co.uk/most-compla...glish-councils


Check out who runs the 10 worst by complaints .

Easy to make sweeping generalisation about the alleged political favouring based on ones dislike of a party in all honesty you'd have to be really sure of that and for poor management .

Think you may Labour does run a lot of councils these days and 1 in 10 are in trouble.

Trouble for Labour they are not keen on bad news like wage control , staff numbers , performance and critical funding? They tend to favour 20mph speed limits , green issues , diversity, events , road bumps , changing street names, replacing status, anything really beside the core issues health , policing, education.

Lovely run Sheffield a beacon of light :

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-...shire-66305959
Several Sheffield City council staff sacked or resigned over fraud - report
Think the Labour MP went sign for fraud..

Phew

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...r-63428147.amp

How embarrassing GMP faced scrutiny after a report revealed a failure to record more than 80,000 crimes in a year.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who took over last May, said the force had got back to basic policing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

You reduce overheads...salaries of top execs etc....and other (much) extraneous expenditure...

Not sure what you mean by high flying executive..

---

I work in a local authority with well over a million residents, no love lost here for chief exec and senior leadership from me but their salaries are pitiful compared with their responsibility. Providing care and maintaining responsibility for the most vulnerable people in society whilst delivering other services across the board. Plenty of problems but high salaries isn't one of them.

Another Labour run feck fest

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-65676411

Betsi Cadwaladr: Police considering north Wales NHS investigation

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eric Cartman

I work in a local authority with well over a million residents, no love lost here for chief exec and senior leadership from me but their salaries are pitiful compared with their responsibility. Providing care and maintaining responsibility for the most vulnerable people in society whilst delivering other services across the board. Plenty of problems but high salaries isn't one of them.

---

Let's just say they earn more than the Prime Minister......Invariably they are well OVER six figures...........

Labour-run Birmingham City council: Population: 1,144,900 people, £87 million gap in spending

Tory-run Thurrock City Council: Population: 176,000 people, £469 million spending gap

I wonder why all these councils are on their arse? Years and years of underfunding by this Tory Government that’s why.

The country is in an absolute mess and the sooner these clowns are gone the more chance the nation has of healing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pipster

Thatchers fault obviously.

Any other Councils gone bust (Lab or Con or Lib Dem ?)
Birmingham council is a basket case - Channel4 of all people , did a documentary on Brum council, Im surprised they lasted this long.

And there was me thinking a Labour run Council was all about fair pay for all - they fecking bang on about it often enough. If they had payed them properly in the first place that would have meant they had no money to spend on the left wing socialist nonsense policies.

---

He's off 😂

[QUOTE=Maurice Swan;5451850]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

It means stop being so pompous

Just because you have done well enough to emigrate doesn't mean you can make ridiculous comments about the financial problems of Birmingham City Council based upon your upbringing in Aberdare /QUOTE]

that is EXACTLY why I feel able to make financial comments........I have MANAGED things at all stages i n life.... NO further comments....

---

That's a relief !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by life on mars

Phew

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...r-63428147.amp

How embarrassing GMP faced scrutiny after a report revealed a failure to record more than 80,000 crimes in a year.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who took over last May, said the force had got back to basic policing.

---

Have you ever heard of Dame Shirley Porter ?

One of the biggest frauds in local authority history

CONSERVATIVE

And her family was a huge donor to the dirty party

Sadly she died before they could do her financially

I would have dug her up and checked her pockets

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ninian opinian

Labour-run Birmingham City council: Population: 1,144,900 people, £87 million gap in spending

Tory-run Thurrock City Council: Population: 176,000 people, £469 million spending gap

I wonder why all these councils are on their arse? Years and years of underfunding by this Tory Government that’s why.

The country is in an absolute mess and the sooner these clowns are gone the more chance the nation has of healing.

---

Amen

Could legalizing cannabis and taxing it raise enough to make a dent in the public infrastructure problems?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

We all have different viewpoints...

---

Yours is that of an ex pat conservative voter living in the south of france

You are in the minority in Wales and long may that continue

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wash DC Blue

Could legalizing cannabis and taxing it raise enough to make a dent in the public infrastructure problems?

---

It's left field but it's worth a try

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Yours is that of an ex pat conservative voter living in the south of france

You are in the minority in Wales and long may that continue

---

I hate that term ‘ex pat’, they’re immigrants who think ‘ex pat’ makes them a bit more important and entitled. Ex pat, my arse!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Why do you think councils that have to spend huge amounts on social care , children's services and aging transport systems tend to struggle financially ?

Why do you think councils in places like Surrey , Berkshire , Oxfordshire , Hertfordshire etc generally don't struggle ?

You think it's because they are conservative led ?

Don't insult your own intelligence

---

So they are only in a mess because of demographics, and they are doing a great job of managing the budget?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by splott parker

I hate that term ‘ex pat’, they’re immigrants who think ‘ex pat’ makes them a bit more important and entitled. Ex pat, my arse!!!!

---

As long as you and Sludge can ignore the issue in hand and complain about where someone lives, that's the main thing. 👍

It Is NOT only only labour run councils...most have the same faults...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish

Some of this might have helped ....

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-...end-it-in-time

They are, completely fu***ng useless.

---

If they are concerned as to where the missing millions from covid are they would do well to look how some of the hierarchy within the welsh governments property portfolios have grown recently. Allegedly of course

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by splott parker

I hate that term ‘ex pat’, they’re immigrants who think ‘ex pat’ makes them a bit more important and entitled. Ex pat, my arse!!!!

---

Always Tories

I didn't get where I am today without hard work etc

Too many immigrants in Britain now ! .......so I am going to Australia .........a country of immigrants

Or Spain

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish

Some of this might have helped ....

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-...end-it-in-time

They are, completely fu***ng useless.

---

Well done BOYO another one to add to the list :facepalm:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by splott parker

I hate that term ‘ex pat’, they’re immigrants who think ‘ex pat’ makes them a bit more important and entitled. Ex pat, my arse!!!!

---

Bollocks....I have never referred to myself as an ex-pat....but decisions in the UK affect my pension...which is why I care..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JamesWales

As long as you and Sludge can ignore the issue in hand and complain about where someone lives, that's the main thing. 👍

---

I am not complaining

I just think it's ironic that our political and economic problems can be solved by people who have moved abroad because they don't like it here anymore due to being sick of living in Britain ........I am aware in most cases of why that's the case

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

It Is NOT only only labour run councils...most have the same faults...

---

That's true Mo

But you know that the events in Birmingham are being used to bash left wing councils

I mean you are aware that you are part of the echo speaker here ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

That's true Mo

But you know that the events in Birmingham are being used to bash left wing councils

I mean you are aware that you are part of the echo speaker here ?

---

umm..echo speaker....? I may be ignorant in not understanding that...Personally at the next election I would not vote for either Labour or Conservative...one as bad as the other....UK REFORM for me...or someone who would form a COMMON SENSE party....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

Bollocks....I have never referred to myself as an ex-pat....but decisions in the UK affect my pension...which is why I care..

---

I didn’t say you did, Sludge is guilty as charged:hehe:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

umm..echo speaker....? I may be ignorant in not understanding that...Personally at the next election I would not vote for either Labour or Conservative...one as bad as the other....UK REFORM for me...or someone who would form a COMMON SENSE party....

---

You were quite taken by a far right mob in France recently, if I recall.

Very interesting discussion. i also work for a council but in another country. It is also underfunded and if you wanted to burn money, just give it to a council. just my opinion

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maurice Swan

umm..echo speaker....? I may be ignorant in not understanding that...Personally at the next election I would not vote for either Labour or Conservative...one as bad as the other....UK REFORM for me...or someone who would form a COMMON SENSE party....

---

It means you are regularly on here with your right wing anti Labour views

If you think the reform party is a common sense solution for the UK then if people suggested you are a far right conservative ........I think you would be giving them plenty of evidence

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by splott parker

You were quite taken by a far right mob in France recently, if I recall.

---

Which is ironic as mo is an immigrant

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by splott parker

I didn’t say you did, Sludge is guilty as charged:hehe:

---

I did and I am sticking with it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

The backpay is part of the situation but the reduction in block grant since 2010 is the key

---

If that is the case every local authority in the country would be bankrupt. The reality is that a Labour Council underpaid their staff and failed to live within its means.

In for the shtz'n giggles and the blame qame.

It is correct that mismanagement can happen anywhere under any party. But when it was a Tory Council, Sludge not only had a different tune, he even started the thread on it!

https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...light=Thurrock

Virtually every Local Authority in the UK of all political colour have had to deal with historical Equal Pay claims. I don't know the specifics of Birmingham but I would imagine that their specific discriminatory pay and conditions of service were no different to anyone else's. The one difference, of course, is the sheer size of Birmingham Council. Many Local Authorities sorted their Equal Pay issues some considerable time ago. In Cardiff they settled their outstanding Equal Pay claims and instituted an evaluated non-discriminatory pay structure and conditions of service 11 years ago, I think. Many other LAs have sorted this problem as well. Quite why Birmingham have not sorted it completely I don't know but the longer you leave it, the longer the discrimination and underpayment of women and men continues resulting in increasing compensation. It's a mess.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by life on mars

Lovely run Sheffield a beacon of light :

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-...shire-66305959
Several Sheffield City council staff sacked or resigned over fraud - report
Think the Labour MP went sign for fraud..

---

I have no local knowledge of these fraud cases but the article you linked said only some of them were staff and the level of fraud uncovered last financial year was in line with the national level - in councils of all political colours and none. In other words ‘non story’ other than the fact that Sheffield council published the results and the local media reported it.