THURROCK Conservatives have expressed their concerns again about the growing ties between Barking and Dagenham council and Thurrock.
Their latest concern centred on a recent training day, when 23 senior officers from Thurrock spent the day on a course in Barking.
Cllr Barry Johnson (an “indirect” employee of B and D council) described the arrangement as “merger by stealth.”
But council leader John Kent, addressed their concerns by producing a recent letter he had received from the secretary of state for local government, Eric Pickles.
The letter stated: “Local authorities need to find pioneering solutions to deliver savings for local residents..so it is pleasing to note that you have made a positive start by sharing some services and functions. Local authorities will need to work together to promote growth.”
Its all a bit worrying isn’t it?
Perfect opportunity to ask Big Eric if he would like his nice Essex Council to become overshadowed by an ailing London Borough, and I would also like to ask the people of Thurrock, who they would prefer to share their managers with? Infact dont we have enough trouble with Bins, Boy Racers, lots of plans to build a Super Port, expanding Lakeside. failing Primary Schools to name but a few, to ensure our well paid directors concentrate on Thurrock alone? It is one thing to share services but sto share Directors is another.
A couple of points:
1) Isn’t it nice to see the party politics taken out of this issue now? Right-wing commenters here on YT haven’t got the ‘Comrade Kent/Labour conspiracy’ argument to fall back on now that a Tory Minister has basically given the move his personal thumbs-up. Now, perhaps, we can have a reasonable debate on the relative advantages and disadvantages of merging some services with B&D although I do worry about the sharing of directors myself, like chickenfeed1.
2) Clarify the phrase “an “indirect” employee of
B and D council” for the readers please.
I doubt whether the views of Penfold Pickles are reflective of how most people feel about the councils ties with a London borough. Most people in Thurrock don’t want to be turned into a London borough, particularly the socialist republic of London that seems to be advocated by Barking & Dagenham.
If we only need part time management then sack the current lot and employ people part time. Has anyone yet shown any concrete evidence of savings yet and where those savings have been. Answers on a fag packet please.
It’s the usual old fudge. Shared services without the quatification. Easier to hide the things you don’t want people to see that way.
who would want to live in thurking dagenham?.
Good to see the Tory high command showing how out of touch they still are. Good on you Pickles. I’m hoping Brentwood Council seeks to ‘share services’ with Newham and then lets see what he thinks about these types of ‘partnerships’.
I’d have no problem with Thurrock sharing services with a council in Essex but I oppose this deal.
Myles – It is clearly a political move otherwise Cllr Kent would have approached one of our neighbours – last time I checked we bordered Basildon, Castle Point, Havering and Brentwood. But instead he chose the first Labour council he could come across rather than looking to boroughs who are managing things better than ourselves.
Bernard87 – A Tory minister has approved of the move so, whatever the initial motivation behind it, the party politics has now been taken out of it…except for those of you who comment on this page who refuse to let it go and discuss the matter without trying to score political points.
Quite frankly, if commenters on this issue don’t grow up a little and view the issue non-party politically, then there’s not much hope for the sane and responsible debate on the relative advantages and disadvantages of service merger with B&D. If a sane and responsible discussion is had, you may find out that perfectly valid reasons support an abandonment of merging with B&D and you’ll get what you want. Political point scoring is just going to strengthen the case for merging because it looks like your only reason for objecting to the merger is ideological.
Of course, on 29 May, you already showed your disdain for the residents/ex-residents of B&D so you can at least add bigotry to your reasons for not wanting a merger.