Plenty of #fail to go around

Finally some good news that at least someone in Westminster is listening to the library groups and taxpayers. Ed Vaizey and Jeremy Hunt have both completely failed to exercise their duty under the law in my opinion, I personally think they are a pair of useless morons. My left big toe with a little face painted on it would make a better culture minister. The other big fail apart from the DCMS and the now defunct MLA is the LGA. At a time when the budget cuts to councils mean they do have to look for savings, the LGA (local government association) should have been bringing the councils together and helping them set up ways of working together. Nearly all councils belong to the LGA, it is paid for via subscriptions from councils and in its own words is a "voluntary lobbying organisation". It spends millions every year (27 million in 2010) on consultants and contractors yet seems to do very little to actually help taxpayers or protect services. It seems to exist to issue press releases rebuking press releases from the taxpayer’s alliance or when Eric Pickles goes off on one. I hope the select committee will come up with some sensible recommendations that will protect front line library funding and the LGA brings some of its vast taxpayer funded resources to bear to help the councils work together to achieve it. We don't need any stupid "initiates" from the government or the LGA, just find a way to stop closing the libraries.

In Oxfordshire the Conservative group will be meeting soon, no doubt Keith will think he can dazzle them with his "Social care or cuts" argument. I hope the councillors of Oxfordshire really understand how very ill-conceived and badly thought through the proposal is. I don't know if Keith is pushing this "Big Society" nonsense because he wants it to fail to embarrass Cameron. If voted through, it will fail. Lots of people will be miffed, the Tories will lose loads of seats and they will in all likely hood lose the seat Nicola Blackwood won by the skin of her teeth over Evan Harris. If any wannabe councillors need any help leafleting or need some donations to help fund their campaigns in 2013 let me know. I can point you in the direction of the councillors seats who have let their libraries close.