Why are they cutting useful jobs?

[R1Geezer]

OK so local authorities are having to cut back, so why don't they start with the 600,000 non jobs created under Noo Labour? Instead it seems useful things like libraries etc are going. We can all do without 5 a day coordinators and diversity consultants so why aren't they getting the axe?

[Davethedog]

Because not all the 600,000 jobs were none jobs, our population grows and needs to be administered. It just suits somepeople to just blanket the whole thing. Not only that some of those people work on the dole and they are going to be needed.

[Berkshirelad]

In some cases, becasue there is a statutory duty placed on the local authority to 'co-ordinate' or monitor these things that was set by the central government of the day. Until central government removes the requirement - which takes time - the duty remains.

Given the wide access to the written word on-line, Kindle, mobile phones, etc. I would argue that libraries are far from essential for the majority of the population.

@ Davethedog.

I am not aware that any local government employee has anything to do with the 'dole'; it is all adminstered by DWP - part of central government.

[Everhelpful]

Why don't local Councils stop sending threatening letters to Council Tax payers who are a week late with their payment.I have NEVER missed a payment in 6 years but got one of these letters today as I paid through a Post Office,who obviously are not passing on this information.They could start their "Cuts" here,as they will want to keep all the "Freebies" "Senior" Staff get.

[youngmafbog]

Because they want to prove a point.

You will see much more of this, particularly from labour run councils. Its all to prove how bad the tories are.

[R1Geezer]

Just as long as I can get some diversity councilling against the bomb YMB, I'm happy. Do you know I nearly had 6 bits of Fruit and Veg yesterday, I can see how the problems can escalate without the right personnell!

[jake-the-peg]

Can we have a link justifying these 600,000 so called non jobs Geezer.

Ideally one that doesn't point out 600,000 jobs and a couple of cherry picked examples implying "they're all like this"

Call me cynical but if we suddenly had half a million 5 a day co-ordinators I think I might just have come across one or two!

[craft1948]

Berkshirelad I think you will find that libraries are an essential for the vast majority of pensioners, who otherwise couldn't afford anything to read.

[Haggisdj]

I work in the IT Dept of a Borough Council and there are no non-jobs here. There are very few, if any, organisations in Britain that handle as many operations as your local council but very few people seem to realise that. The Tories have waited for decades to dismantle the Public Sector and now they can't believe their luck. There will be nothing left of the Councils once they have finished and the damage to communities in towns and cities throughout Britain will be immense. You never know what you've got until it's gone, as the saying goes.

@Everhelpful - Councils' budgets include the rent and Council Tax that they collect. If they don't collect it then they cannot perform, that is why they chase you so hard on these matters

[R1Geezer]

I don't know what they where all employed for jake, just take Thursday's Guardian for the trendy job description of the week. All I'm saying is that before His Tonyness and the Noo Labour trouped into town there were 600,000 less of them, so whatever functions they do perform seem only to have been needed since 1997.

[R1Geezer]

" The Tories have waited for decades to dismantle the Public Sector "

Good on them, the public sector should be as small as possible.

[youngmafbog]

Its more like a million of them plus Noo labour came in the public spending was 40% GDP, when they left it was 50% GDP. Source - The Economist.

How on earth can someone justify that? The Public sector is there toi serve the Public, nothing else.

[rov1100]

What other private service is out there that demands you money first and then if you are lucky get the service you pay for. Not only that but if you do not pay in advance it could lead to a summons and a prison term.

You can change the council that were voted in every few years but how do you pin down the official responsible. Its just like the union block vote where there solidarity means they are all equally responsible.

I suppose the answer is to name individuals responsible and get them the sack immediately not at the next election. Council officials could be voted on just like MPs have to stand up and be counted.

[lardhelmet]

I work in a local authority and we've got plenty of non jobs there. They're called Middle Management

[boxtops]

It's all the public sector, R1G, health too, and health and local authorities are going to be working together a lot more closely under the new proposals.