Cllr Banwait tells us that the Council’s finances have been destroyed by the Tory Government and that the 100% cuts to the Voluntary Sector Grants, Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), as well as the cancellation of many other popular services and entertainment events, have been driven by draconian central government policies. As Cllr Banwait is a politician, there is a hint of truth, tainted by the facts he doesn’t tell us.
It is true to say that the central government grant has reduced by £10m in a budget of £219m (4.5%). Due to other funding improvements the net effect is only £3m ( a net 1.5% reduction!)- there is a lot more to Council funding than finance from the Central Government…something that Cllr Banwait never mentions.
The biggest single cost pressure on the Councils budget in 2016/17 is the impact of the ill-fated, lengthy, very expensive and controversial job evaluation process/change to Terms and Conditions. This is the decade long tragedy that has resulted in Teaching Assistants being saddled with a 25% pay cut. At the same time, the vast majority of staff have enjoyed an average 4%+ pay rise ; this is not for cost of living, or National Living Wage, but a highly flawed activity which has resulted in a on-going £4m cost to the Council set to increase by a further £1m in 2017/18, and £1m in 2018/19 – all for nothing!
This was supposed to correct only gender equality issues in the pay structure, not a wholesale pay rise for employees. The £4m would cover the Voluntary sector (VCF) and Citizen’s Advice Bureau grants 5 times over, and we are told that cutting VCF grants was the “last resort”!
The question is, why is giving every single Council employee, on average, a pay rise of 4%, remotely justifiable. Giving them a 3% pay rise would allow all Voluntary Sector grants including the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, to be funded for ever?
When the Council repeatedly spew their rhetoric about their joint hopelessness on the budget, and that there is “no where to go”….then, they ARE deceiving the residents of Derby, and being “economical with the truth”. I don’t doubt Cllr Banwait will say that the Government has told them to implement “Equal Pay” – the policy, “yes”, the actual detail and amounts “no” – I wish this Council would take some personal accountability for the actions and decisions it is taking…..we know that axing the VCF grants and CAB contract was not a “last resort”, anyone can see that!
So, will someone in the Council be open and transparent enough to answer this question….?
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Categories: Charity Grants, Derby City Council, Finances
Derby News 
It should be pointed out it was a Labour Govt. together with Trade Union pressure that brought about, quite rightly, parity of pay between male and female. It was this Labour administration in Derby that complicated the issue by sanctioning an advanced job evaluation scheme coupled with introduction of the living wage – and then wondered why they’ve run out of cash when the results showed up anomalies!
Good luck on the council giving you a straight answer on that .We at Tusc were accused of being communist’s, for asking if the council were prepared to fight the austerity cuts, as was requested by Jeremy Corbyn . Also i mentioned last year on the radio if the council were prepared to intiate an community needs no cuts budget ? Contrary to some people in the council’s belief it is not illegal , but the right wing of Labour banned members from putting this policy forward . Now any councillor adopting this strategy would be thrown out of the Labour party . This as led to many councillors feathering their own nests as opposed to fighting for the rights of the working class and ordinary people in Derby , something that we as TUSC vigorously support , and would support any councillor who would be prepared to fight the cuts . One question i would like to ask is . Why are there 51 councillors for only 20 wards ? If you count the whole of Derbyshire it adds up to 44 . It’s astonishing that councillors can up to 17,000 pa, just in aloowances, on top of the thousand’s they get in saleries. We at TUSC would only take the wage of an average worker in Derby and use that allowance, plus the reserves to funding jobs and services . Build a mass campaign, ( the current council are reluctant to participate in that due to the lack of trust by resident communities ) forcing the government to give us back the 100 or so million, that as been cut from our budget over the past 5 years .
Stanchman, if you start quoting figures please get them right, MOST opposition Councillors are given an allowance which is approx £10k it is only the LABOUR administration with their Cabinet and Chairmans roles who are given allowances in screws of those figures, indeed the £17k you quote is carry ally an under estimation of the allowances focused on those in favour and loyal to ‘the Socialist ideal’ (that’s a laugh if it wasn’t so serious!) As for the number of Councillors – it is the Electoral Commission an independent body who decide on the number of Councillors. NOT an internal decision within the Council. In order to attract a cross section of Councillors in any electoral period who are not self sufficient financially there must be some allowance paid for what is classed as a part time role, As an alternative you get a Council of aged members who can afford through previous retirements to serve on the Council. Do you therefore want Youngblood and pay for it or reduction in costs using more mature members?
MickB
Thanks for your response . I’m sorry but through illness . I am sure you’ll be well into the Brexit conversation by now i have not used WordPress .While i may concede a little , i disagree with the implication of me being focused solely on socialist ideals ,in fact , i try to take the best that all parties have to offer .In answer to your question .It as become very clear that the present elitist have no idea of how the working class and poor live and i find that all to often it’s those same elitist’s that tell the majority how they should live there lives on the poverty line while they sit at the head of the masters table . So a bunch of old men decides how a young person should live without even know that person. Being old dont make you wise ,intelligent,empathetic,knowledgeable,kind or respectful of others .It’s only a person who quite comfortable with the status quo, who would question freedom and equality that only a select few are able to enjoy . While i live ok , i am not happy with people who have the power to treat people but choose not to, instead they covert their own ideals . I would like to see all represented not just within local councils , but in government AND yes , that does mean young blood .As we have seen , things just getting .Especially in Derby , where it seems that yet another round of cuts is coming from a Labour led council feeding us the crumbs from under their Conservative masters table, AND that’s why their needs to be a change .
Ranjit Banwait should be stood down as leader of Derby City Council. The only city in the UK without CAB. The only city which gets rid of its biggest and best free festival in the Darley Park Concert. The only city without Christmas lights in December 2016. The list is endless.