The budget

The MK group on Cornwall Council opposed the budget that was agreed by the Conservative/Independent administration on Tuesday.

As one of the four group leaders, I was given an early opportunity to speak and took the opportunity to address problems with the budget setting process and how we definitely need more information in future years.

I also questioned the extent of reductions in expenditure planned in different areas over the next three years and the limited information about where the axe was likely to fall. I also addressed the £7 million set-aside for redundancies and had a gripe about how the severance packages had been changed since the well-paid officers, who pushed the unitary process through, had left. They didn’t listen before, but I had my say anyway.

There was a clear ‘commissioning’ or ‘out-sourcing’ feel to future plans which I criticized, saying that we also work for local residents and communities – not customers!

And from a personal perspective, I also told one and all that I could not support a budget that identified several millions for the cnstruction of infrastructure to the incinerator plant planned for St Dennis that I would be opposing at a Public Inquiry in only a matter of weeks.