Havering Cabinet, 5th February 2025: Budget

Gillian Ford (1minute),¹is Havering’s Maggie Thatcher. Her speech was a version of ‘There is no alternative’. (see addendum). Her conclusions are pure Maggie.

“Without these three [library] closures we cannot cover their costs, we place remaining libraries at risk, and we would not be delivering the improvement and transformation plan agreed at Full Council last July, in accordance with MHCLG’s requirements.”²

Being obvious nonsense, Keith Prince (20) piled in. He evoked shifty and evasive answers before the Chief Executive (23) conceded his point. Library closures are a political choice. Gillian (52) declared, “We have no alternative!” Maggie Rides Again.

The cabinet spent 51 minutes discussing £800K whilst simultaneously negotiating a £70m loan. Chris Wilkins said (1:27) that the gap could be £89m.³ This astonishing 27% variation on the Leader’s statement was treated with levity by Chris. Havering’s government borrowings are a minimum of £102m This is to pay for daily expenditure but not for tangible infrastructure benefits. The loans are a manoeuvre to avoid “…a massive increase in council tax beyond the standard 4.99 per cent.”⁴

Ray Morgon conveniently forgets the £102m are loans, which future Havering councils will have to pay.⁵ He has a heroic belief in government largesse where loans are written off. Is this prudent budget setting? Meanwhile he stands by the £1m free parking gift to his political heartlands in Hornchurch and Upminster.

Addendum: There is no alternative, Margaret Thatcher

“TINA (as characterized by explicit use of ‘there is no alternative’ and declarations of necessity, inevitability, and irrefutability of certain policies) can be considered a political strategy in both democratic and autocratic regimes. Its rhetoric allows politicians to reduce the scope of available policy choices, limiting the expectations of their electorate and avoiding the blame for bad, but ‘unescapable’ policies.” source There is no alternative – Wikipedia

Notes

1 All times refer to the webcast Annotator Player

2 loc.cit. 18 minutes Gillian used MHCLG throughout her speech without saying it’s the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Gillian is claiming the Ministry has demanded library closures, which is nonsense. Councillor Taylor says, “….the saving is likely to be around just £161k.” This is after decommissioning costs are factored into the equation. REVEALED: Actual Library Closure Costs Gillian responded Deputy Leader Responds to Library Closure Criticism By Romford Councillor. – The Havering Daily

4 loc.cit. Wilkins speech

4 Havering hosts crime summit, Cabinet agrees next year’s budget, we celebrate LGBT+ History Month – 12hedonic@gmail.com – Gmail [CP1]

5 Presumably not by HRA’s current leadership.

[CP1]

Havering Council Meeting: 4th September 2024 (part two)

Library Closure Debate (Begins at 56 minutes)^1,2

This was the best debate in recent years. Thoughtful and insightful points were made in an ultra-positive environment. Great stuff.

Martin Goode (56mins) set the tone. Firstly, placing libraries in the community and then forensically analysing the financial actualité. A lot of the savings is staffing. However, Havering has a no redundancy policy so there is an over-statement of savings.

Two councillors³ explained the importance of libraries to their, and every body’s, childhood. Dilip Patel (1:25) quoted Woodford Green library as an example of creative regeneration. This set the scene for ‘thinking outside the box’, a point approvingly made by Ray Morgon (2:16) to Keith Prince’s (2:19) surprise. The consultation didn’t offer alternatives to closure.

Philip Ruck (1:31) favours morally correct decisions. James Glass (1:49) is refreshingly optimistic unlike HRA, which embraces ‘victimhood’. Chris Wilkins (1:22) exemplifies victimhood: he’s wedded to ‘Loans and Savings’. He’s oblivious to the £1.5m that a 1% council tax increase offers, an option “that dare not speak its name”.⁴

Graham Williamson (1:44) stunned councillors by saying that libraries are ‘subsidised’. They’re a public service, which might surprise him, as he implies they’re failing businesses. Gillian Ford was outraged that Prince wanted to conclude the debate even if it went on beyond 10:30 (2:00).⁵ He said HRA are led by officers. Council officers, as a group, have reductionist attitudes: ‘You want savings? Here they are!’

Four libraries might close to ‘save’ 0.55% of the deficit.

Best sarcasm: Philip Ruck

Best politics: Brian Eagling (1:28)

Absentee councillors: Nine, which is outrageous.

Notes

1 Annotator Player (mediasite.com) All times relate to this webcast

2 Motions.pdf (havering.gov.uk) For the wording of the motion and amendments

3 Mandy Anderson and Judith Holt made significant speeches on this point.

4 Havering Council Tax: Is It Too Low? – Politics in Havering

5 A close vote 25:21 casts doubt on this

The Political Management of Library Closures

Ward councillors are advocates for their constituents. The proposed library closure programme is for four out of a list of five.¹ Two libraries are in HRA wards and HRA are proposing the closures. This means that two wards have councillors who are conflicted. The conflict is that they must support their ward and support their party. This is a quintessential political decision. All five councillors have substantial allowances, which might be factor in their decision-making.

Elm Park: HRA stronghold

Barry Mugglestone is the Environment Tsar. His greatest victory is 30-minutes free car parking – except in Romford.²It costs a million pounds and would save all the libraries if abandoned.

Stephanie Nunn is the former mayor.

Julie Wilkes is chair of the Audit Committee with a substantial allowance. There are four meetings a year. The 23^rd January, 2024 meeting lasted an hour.³

South Hornchurch: HRA stronghold

Natasha Summers was suddenly promoted to the £25,000 Housing Needs cabinet post.⁴ South Hornchurch is Havering’s third most deprived ward (see Addendum 1) and residents have poor outcomes. The library is important for Levelling-up.

Graham Williamson is the Planning Tsar. He sees libraries sitting on sites which are ready for housing development. Graham lives in Elm Park, which is also facing library closures.

Political Management

Ray Morgon’s HRA are specialists in the management of decline. This will continue until they grasp the Council Tax nettle (see Addendum 2). Graham Williamson says, “We can only hope”⁵for additional government funding. He means increased Council Taxes are inevitable, but HRA would implode under the political pressure.

Addendum One: Deprivation

“Gooshays, Heaton, and South Hornchurch are the most deprived wards in Havering. On average, people living in deprived areas, lower socio-economic groups and marginalised groups have the poorest health and well-being outcomes. In the most deprived areas, the life expectancy of men is 7.9 years lower than that of men in the least deprived areas; for women the difference is 5.5years.” Source: Social Value strategy – Cabinet Sept 2019.pdf (havering.gov.uk)

Addendum Two: Bankruptcy

“…a funding gap facing local services of more than £6 billion over the next two years – fuelled by rising cost and demand pressures – means a chasm will continue to grow….”

Two-thirds of councils have already had to make cutbacks to local neighbourhood services this year – including waste collections, road repairs, library and leisure services – as they struggle to plug funding gaps.” Source: English councils face terrifying £6.2bn funding black hole with more at risk of bankruptcy (msn.com)

Notes

1 Collier Row, Elm Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and South Hornchurch

2 Romford didn’t vote HRA but four Conservatives have joined them – without by-elections

3 Browse meetings – Audit Committee | The London Borough Of Havering

4 Havering Councillor: Natasha Summers (South Hornchurch) – Politics in Havering Her attendance is poor at about 62%. This bodes badly for her principal decision-making role. Councillors attendance summary, 14 December 2023 – 7 June 2024 | The London Borough Of Havering

5 ‘I fear all Councils will be low down in a future Government’s priorities but we live in hope.’ – The Havering Daily

Libraries or 30 Minutes Free Parking in Hornchurch and Upminster?

By maintaining the remaining six most visited libraries….the borough will save more than £300,000 per year, with these essential savings going towards the Council’s responsibilities to meet a balanced budget.

Have your say on the future of Havering libraries, disruptions to waste collections, good luck to Romford FC – 12hedonic@gmail.com – Gmail (google.com)

Ray Morgon has identified four libraries that are on life-support machines. As an act of mercy, he’s going to put them out of their misery. Luckily, the resources freed up will create a new Golden Age for the remaining libraries. Even better, they will also help in the battle against bankruptcy. That’s the story.

Balderdash!

What’s actually happening is that the unaffordable 30 minutes free parking period in HRA/Labour’s heartlands will continue. HRA/Labour voters are being rewarded, unlike those in Conservative Romford. The revenue savings from the closure of the libraries is trivial at £300,000. Trivial? Free carparking costs a cool million. Ah, but what about the “balanced budget?”

Balderdash!

HRA/Labour have borrowed £54m at 7% over 20 years. The annual interest to be paid on that is £3.78m. £300,000 doesn’t touch the sides. The Administration is trying to dig itself out of a hole by not taking up the full loan. (This explains the recent sale of four car parks by the way.¹) They are suffering from ‘buyer’s remorse’ when a supposed triumph turns into a nightmare.²

A helpful suggestion

Sell the Marks and Spencer site in Romford.³

Notes

1 Havering’s Impending Bankruptcy: selling carparks – Politics in Havering

2 Buyer’s remorse – Wikipedia

3 Damian White and Romford Marks and Spencer (M&S) July, 2019 – Politics in Havering