Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Every year for 13 years?

Not 40% each year obviously....but it's just like budgeting on home expenditure...just on a larger scale.

[Tuerto]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

The old adage..."you cut your cloth......" when I lived in Aberdare, after looking at their accounts I volunteered to the council to undertake an audit (free) with a view to reducing costs and optimising services.....(after all I did used to run my own business unit and sat on a board of directors...).
Unsurprisingly they declined. You must realise - even you - that there is so much wasted expenditure in local government.

I work in local government Mo, and i'll tell you this, it's brutal. I work on Housing repairs and we're nailed down to doing the minimum required, even if it looks utter shit and by no fault of the trades person (in most cases) the quality and standard of work is greatly compromised. It's demoralising not just for the operative, but for the Tennant as well. I'm given 4 or 5 hours on a job that needs 2 days in order to do a good job that will last. It's cut to the bone.

[Tuerto]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Not 40% each year obviously....but it's just like budgeting on home expenditure...just on a larger scale.

It isn't like budgeting on home expenditure, nothing like it.

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

It isn't like budgeting on home expenditure, nothing like it.

Of course it is....the principle is the same...you estimate what you get in and then budget what goes out.
When I ran a business unit....I balanced what revenue I could get with what staff/services I could provide.

[Tuerto]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Of course it is....the principle is the same...you estimate what you get in and then budget what goes out.
When I ran a business unit....I balanced what revenue I could get with what staff/services I could provide.

With respect though Mo, that's a bit simplistic. There are so many variables in running a local authority. And i'm not saying that money isn't wasted, because it is.

[IanD]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

That's a terrible mismanagement of funds, how could that possibly happen, what party runs Birmingham?

Apart from cuts in central funding, Birmingham Council were landed with a huge bill for equal pay claims. This has been an ongoing issue for years, pre Covid. That they have wasted so much money on IT is another issue. Their version of ULEZ hasn't helped either. I may be misquoting Jasper Carrot but, his comment about "if Britain was given an enema, Brum is where the tube would be inserted" holds true. It's turning into Detroit.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

I work in local government Mo, and i'll tell you this, it's brutal. I work on Housing repairs and we're nailed down to doing the minimum required, even if it looks utter shit and by no fault of the trades person (in most cases) the quality and standard of work is greatly compromised. It's demoralising not just for the operative, but for the Tennant as well. I'm given 4 or 5 hours on a job that needs 2 days in order to do a good job that will last. It's cut to the bone.

That can't be true, there is shed loads of money to change all the speed signs in Wales, and give millionaires free Viagra and cough medicine, how could they possibly do that if money is tight as those don't seem like the highest priority needs?

Surely ministers wouldn't sanction fanciful ideas that the public doesn't even want when there are genuine needs?

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Apart from cuts in central funding, Birmingham Council were landed with a huge bill for equal pay claims. This has been an ongoing issue for years, pre Covid. That they have wasted so much money on IT is another issue. Their version of ULEZ hasn't helped either. I may be misquoting Jasper Carrot but, his comment about "if Britain was given an enema, Brum is where the tube would be inserted" holds true. It's turning into Detroit.

Yes I read the IT quotes to update their system.....Jeepers....I was a business director with a software company in London......dealing with Lloyds Bank/Prudential /Royal and Sun/Oracle/Tesco/Sainsbury/M&S etc......

These sort of figures they are reputed to have paid are pure fantasy.....it;s the like of Capita et al in screwing people who have no knowledge...like MANY areas of government.

[Nobody's Rep]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

I recoin many of us could reduce expenditure by 40% just using common sense and not paying excessive executive salaries.....without affecting services.

So how do you reduce looked after children costs by 40% or the rising costs of elderly care in the community by 40% - things that no high flying private executive can control ?

[ninian opinian]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

OK fair enough why did you say it was Conservative?

It was Tory run when the pay disputes occured but you knew that.

And now comment on Northamptonshire and Thurrock..

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Not 40% each year obviously....but it's just like budgeting on home expenditure...just on a larger scale.

Absolute nonsense

No wonder you are living the life of luxury in the dordogne

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

So how do you reduce looked after children costs by 40% or the rising costs of elderly care in the community by 40% - things that no high flying private executive can control ?

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

Not sure what you mean by high flying executive..

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

So how do you reduce looked after children costs by 40% or the rising costs of elderly care in the community by 40% - things that no high flying private executive can control ?

It doesn't affect him so he can make daft comments thinking a 40 percent cut is manageable and all down to left wing waste

Hopefully he hasn't got a proxy vote

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

Absolute nonsense

No wonder you are living the life of luxury in the dordogne

I live a good life (not luxury) because I planned and lived within my means in the UK...it is called forward planning....maybe that is an alien concept to you...

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Birmingham Council declares bankruptcy

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

Not sure what you mean by high flying executive..

The salaries of chief executives is chicken feed compared to the costs of running a huge local authority subject to central government cuts

Have you been in the sun all day ?