Inside Story: Who cares about cuts?
Before 2006, any mention of economics on the television news was usually reserved for the space before the “and finally” moment. But following the global economic meltdown, we are now faced with endless updates on the world’s financial systems, whether it be problems in struggling countries, such as Greece and Italy, outrage at bankers’ bonuses or the need to cut back on pensions and benefits.
After almost six years of such reports, it is easy to see why many people are now suffering from “austerity fatigue”.
Locally, the warning from Northamptonshire County Council is that savings of £28 million will have to be made from the authority’s budget this year. The cuts will see money taken from frontline policing, up to 300 council jobs lost and cuts made to services for some of the most vulnerable people in the county.
Just a few years ago, such plans would have seen crowds of banner-waving protesters march on County Hall calling for a fairer deal.
But this week, only 14 members of the public bothered to attend a public meeting to tackle the council’s cabinet on the issues.
Those who did attend made passionate speeches explaining why the services they cared about should not be cut. But the biggest spectre in the council chamber was all the people who weren’t there.
The scene was repeated a few days later when only 18 people turned out to a meeting at the Guildhall to discuss plans for further cuts to policing and the town’s CCTV system.
Again, those who turned out fought their corners well, but as the event ended, the leader of the authority repeated the sentiment expressed by his opposite number at County Hall earlier in the week, that it was a massive disappointment so few people had attended.
In the wake of the two poorly-attended meetings, the recriminations began. The councillors blamed the public for being apathetic, while the public blamed councillors for never listening.
Interestingly, while only 14 people made the journey to County Hall to debate the county council’s cuts, the story which reported the low turn out was the most commented-on article on the Chron’s website this week.
Arguments web users made for not attending included “all the decisions have already been made”, “the councillors don’t listen anyway” and the suggestion that the Chron didn’t help by neither publishing the dates of the meetings nor the issues which will be discussed.
On the last issue, we certainly published the dates of both meetings a number of times and devote numerous pages every week to the workings of both councils. The more interesting points are the other two.
There is clearly a feeling that people are powerless to alter the views of the county’s politicians. This may be a genuinely held view after years of controversial decisions being pushed through by councillors, such as the switch off of half the county’s street lights, or it may be a sign of austerity fatigue.
In a world where we are bombarded with news of cuts and commandments to tighten our belts, it is understandable that people feel powerless to stand up against budget cuts. But if nobody turns out to meetings like these to challenge the decision made by our elected representatives on our behalf, how can they ever know if they have our backing and how can we ever say that we stood up for what we believe in?
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There are 3 comments to this article
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lady muck
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:32 PMThe 'cuts' have hardly started...in fact the National Debt is still on the increase !
Adams RANT
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 07:22 PMTHE Chron needs to ask questions of events, for example last year it ran articles on two occasions about solar panel being on some council housing stock this year. HOW about asking when this will happening you may find that with a number of councils axing the solar panel element is growing by the day, we fear that Northampton Borough Council in light of the reduced Feed-in Tariff (FiT) imposed by the government will find that its assumptions of the 16th March last year That 80% of the project would be funded by the surplus energy created and the additional 20% by the Council will be called into question. We think that Tenants and residents need to be told what the position is on this matter Norman Adams – Chair Northampton Defend Council Housing WE CARE ABOUT CUTS
Common sense
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 03:29 PMWe need to trust politicians to get on with the job until such time as they prove themselves incapable (or corrupt) . NBC has shown its inability in the past (the Worst Council in England tag )should ring in the ears of the Conservatives involved. It got kicked out in a very conservative area. I agree that people are fed up with all the doom and gloom and austerity (and too busy trying to survive). However I thiough it rude of NBC or the Chron to label voters as apathetic --people get turned off by daily repeats of the same old soundbites and petty politics. The Chron has its part to play and that is not only to report meeting schedules but to challenge the status quo. The Chron is seen to be light on the Conservatives-rightly or wrongly--and is seen to be too close to NCC and its leader particulary. For the rest of 2012 the Chron should ask each of our MPs --what are you doing or going to do for Northampton. Locally it should challenge the Councils why the Joint Core Strategy--a plan started in 2004 and not yet complete --will take most of 2012 to agree before being sent to Government for approval. The absence of this document is delaying certainty around Planning for the area which is affecting those involved at the Saints, the Cobblers, the grosvernor Centre, house builders , investors , infrastructure providers and so on--the list is endless. the Main reason ists delayed is councillors have yet to fact up to the unpalatable political reality that houses, in particular, will need to be built in Nortrhampton. I would guess that NBC has only nearly One years land identified for housing when its lagally obliged to have at least 5 yearshousing land supply.Think of all the jobs, taxes, activity and feel good factor created by a vibrant economy? Ask the Councils how much they will earn from the Government if they build 10,000 houses in Northampton? What services could they fund if they were in receipt of that money?The Chron should feature positive economic or enterprise stories no matter who's involved e.g. a lot more could have been made of Vince Cables visit to Northamton the Enterprise Zone last week --I susupect that NCC and NBC (both sucuming to petty party politics no doubt) weren't involved or played petty party politics in preference to promoting Northampton town or county. The Councillors must provide a plan and the Chron must be critical if they don't.. and don't be fobbed off!
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