“May you live in interesting times” is supposedly a Mandarin Curse. Yet, anything that occurred at the start of the year was inconsequential to what happened on the 16th June when Jo was murdered.
Yes this is my annual “Council” report but the events of the
16th put the entire year into perspective, the fact that it could
happen made everyone rethink the place we live in. The only positive outcome to
the event was the world response to the tragedy and the fact that due to Jo’s
family the exact opposite of the intent of the murder is taking place in
bringing us “More Together”.
It is becoming a repetitive theme about how we have to cope
with government cuts, and yes it is dammed unfair that local services have to
be sacrificed to pay for the greed of the Banking fraternity. But it is a fact.
Setting a budget in these circumstances seems like an
exercise in self-flagellation but we had to do it. The rising demand for Social
Care, fuelled in the main by an aging population and the pressure on the NHS
meant that pressures on services that are not targeted to those in most need
are under the greatest threat of reduction or of disappearing. We also suffer
in Kirklees from our past “Yorkshire” “carefulness”, we have never been a
profligate authority under any political leadership, so we are cutting from a
lean carcass.
But I think I am a more “half full” rather than “half empty”
person so do see the opportunity in making changes and being a passionate
believer in public services I can see that the Council can, and must, do many
things no one else can do; we must grasp any opportunity to provide the best
services we can with the resources at our disposal. The changes to technology offer
us many opportunities to improve how we do things. We also need to embrace the
concept of allowing people to do things for themselves, with all the help we
can give.
The budget, the LDF, problems in children’s services and
regional devolution (if it will ever happen) dominated my year as leader;
fortunately I had a Cabinet providing the leadership needed.
At the ward level I benefit greatly from having ward
councillors to work with, with the Bus Hub (I hate that word) up and running,
with Firths Park developing and the Green offering a great event venue,
community issues have not been oppressive. The Friends of the Library, Friends
of Firths Park and the Town Traders Association are all working well. The
amount of individual casework has not indicated any particular trend but is
constant, occasionally presenting a new problem to solve.
In all a year I would prefer not to remember.
