Just like the Thick of It

Another week another set of examples why Labour are not worth a vote in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Firstly the cabinet meeting was yet again an utter farce. It was timed to clash with the 2014 Budget to allow Welsh media outlets to focus on the Mr. Osborne rather than the savage cuts being instigated by the LabCab. The time also meant that many hard working Council Taxpayers would not be able to attend to voice their disapproval at the decisions being made. Although had they attended they would have witnessed another clearly choreographed meeting with all the decisions predetermined and agreed prior to attending the Pavillions. Therefore the cabinet meeting clearly demonstrated a clear lack of respect for democracy.

The meeting also saw the controversial changes to local catchment areas which meant many parents will have to travel farther to take their children to school. Despite campaigners raising the issue with the Cabinet, they were ignored completely. Another topic was the 7.3% rise in charges across the board with the exception of school meals and parking. This means that the price of meals on wheels, burials childcare and leisure facilities will hit hardest those that Labour claim to be the champions of in society. The price hike also raises another interesting question about RCT’s business and financial acumen. If prices are too high then people will not use services like the Cinemas or Swimming Pool (areas which RCT has already cut funding for), therefore there is little or no savings to be made from such an increase. Clearly the Council have not conducted any research into how the rises will affect income from charged service and may have projected savings based on current usage. It is possible to hypothesise that if RCT had cut the price in some areas there may have been increased usage, ergo increased income. Another clear indication that the management and cabinet are not qualified for their positions.

Secondly and straight from The Thick of It comes RCT Council contacting the police to investigate parody accounts of Paul Cannon and Eudine Hanagan. The accounts satirise (although some of the opinions could be quite believable) against the background of the cuts and decisions to put friends and family into senior management posts in the Council. In what was an enormous waste of time and taxpayers money our very own Baldemort and Human Gerbil leapt into action and valiantly contacted the police because people were making fun of them and are now considering legal action. The farce took another turn when Mike Powell, John Bell and Karen Roberts were all accused of setting up the accounts in what appears to be a clear attempt by Labour to capitalise on the use of the parody account storm brewing. Labour may well be criticised for using bully boy tactics to stifle the opposition.  Another thought is that the recent stories have overshadowed the eye watering hikes in prices and have intentionally whipped up a storm about this story as a deflection tactic.

It is a sad indictment of our local Labour Councillors when they put their egos above their constituents’ best interests. The result is a preposterous waste of time and taxpayers money in trying to scare off dissenters with the police and legal action, while our communities are left to crumble. We need to unite and stop the further decimation of our once strong community.

Ysmaliwr