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8/4/2019 Motion for Full Council 21st September 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/motion-for-full-council-21st-september-2011 1/5
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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?
8/4/2019 Motion for Full Council 21st September 2011
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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.