Council job losses - Conservatives can't shirk blame (Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats)

Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats <info@iowlibdems.org.uk>

Council job losses - Conservatives can't shirk blame

February 7, 2009 3:29 PM

Ruling Conservatives on the Isle of Wight Council cannot only blame the economic downturn for cutting jobs in the Council. They need to reflect on their waste and incompetence which is a major factor that will lead to financial misery for many families on the Isle of Wight.

Jill Wareham, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, expressed anger that people should be losing jobs because of the Conservative Council's wastefulness over the last four years.

Jill said "Many of the people who will lose their jobs are likely to be those providing front line services, such as supporting young people and their families. Not only will it affect those people who will then be struggling to pay the everyday household bills and mortgage but it will also affect support services to our local communities.

"The Conservative Council has had good settlements from government during its term of office. Yet they have raided reserves and increased borrowing. Since 2005 they have wasted our money on increasing the number of highly paid directors, employed interim directors and consultants at huge cost and commissioned reports that tell you the same thing we knew four years ago. They have wasting well over £3 million on the Undercliff enquiry. They employed a Chief Executive who lasted 2 years, cost us over £650,000 and did not improve the Council's star rating which remains doggedly at 2. The cutting of these posts will mean cuts to services."