UK borrowing figures worse.

RUN_RABBIT_RUN

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I'm not going to disagree that the police are facing cuts.

However, the G4S debacle highlighted a pertinent point. When they failed, suddenly tens of police officers are sent to provide security for one hotel.

Howcome these sorts of things can happen when police officers are so thin on the ground? Suddenly that didn't seem an issue? I know there is far more to it than some police officers arriving at one hotel (more were sent to cover other venues, such as airports etc)....but this is the response we see, yet are told on the next news article the police won't be able to come to your house for burglary crimes due to cuts?

there will always be enough police officers to serve and answer the whims of the government of the day. it's where they're coming from that you and i should be worried about.

when a 5 minute response time turns into a 10 minute response time due to cuts, it can impact and possibly even end lives. that's the importance of this issue for me.

but its just one of a number of areas - the fire service and the nhs are also looking at big cuts. again, these are services that you and i will rely on in a time of need, so starving them of cash isn't exactly something that anyone should be welcoming.

StevieJ

Graham_Devon wrote: »

If these are all the guardian readers can come up with, surely this proves the point that the "savage and relentless cuts" description is a little hysterical?

It is not all cuts, we are getting a lovely new theatre and our Tory council have ditched ING and promised a complete refurb of part of the City.

The award-winning team behind the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world-famous home at Stratford-upon-Avon is to provide the concept design of Chester’s new theatre.

Council chiefs today (Wednesday) raised the curtain on a star cast assembled to produce a guiding vision for the Borough’s £38m showpiece.

http://www.talkingwestcheshire.org/talking_chester/my_news/news_for_2012/june_2012/chesters_new_theatre.aspx

CHESHIRE West and Chester Council aims to wrestle back control of the city’s stalled Northgate Development retail project by ditching its commercial partner.
The Tory council, with Labour support, has terminated its long-standing agreement with ING Real Estate because not a single brick has been laid after 12 years.
Chester MP Stephen Mosley said: “It has been obvious for several years that the Northgate Development was not moving forwards and it is great news that the council have seized the initiative and taken full control of the project.

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2012/02/10/cheshire-west-and-chester-council-dumps-ing-partners-to-deliver-northgate-development-59067-30303689/

[Deleted User]

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I'm sorry, I'm not sure if you are saying that £300,000 profit means it's a failiure or not?

300k profit on top of the jobs created in running it surely is a success? How can anyone describe it as a failiure? It's creating jobs, and creating money?

apparently its not creating much money for the time and effort expanded and i assume the majority of the jobs have been in dubai anyway

morag1202

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I've been looking for evidence of these cuts, and it seems there isn't many, but an obviously right leaning journalist has written this:


http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2146745/COMMENT-Cuts-Theres-overall-fall-public-expenditure-Coalition-came-power.html

The figures are fact. What ARE these cuts? No one seems to know. I do feel the author is on to something when they suggest we all believe the cuts simply because were all worse off.

Asked on the street to name some cuts and people simply can't.

A lot of the cuts are in areas that most people won't notice.

Come here and let my son take you into the LA Day Center for adults with learning disabilities where he works. You will no longer see small groups of happy, interested customers in an art class, or out in the local park kicking a football around. Instead you'll see a hall full of rather bored people watching endless DVD's because there are no longer the staff to safely do anything else.

wotsthat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Asked on the street to name some cuts and people simply can't.

It's an interesting point. Some googling shows that around 25% of the planned cuts have been implemented. Less that I would have guessed but still significant.

It's politicians that are implementing these cuts so they are going to try and backload direct cuts in case they can get away with not implementing them at a later date. You'll only notice the cuts when you notice them if that makes sense. As an earlier example how often do you call the police or an ambulance? You'll notice if they turn up after an hour instead of 10 mins.

Maternity benefits have been cut. How often would someone notice?

There's other more mundane stuff. My local park is less well maintained - they've removed half the dog s**t bins as well. Verges are being cut less often. Roads are in a poorer condition etc. etc.

There's also the question of people noticing they are poorer. A lot of people will saying that things are getting more expensive but some of the effect might be due to paying privately for services that were formerly provided publically.

shortchanged_2

Good points wotsthat and morag. It's not always the things we notice that matter but some people will be affected by the cuts.

Unfortunately it's usually the less fortunate as in morags point that are the ones who end up worse off. But hey ho, who cares they're only the insignificant minority who are often viewed as the burden on society.