Is our LOCAL Union working?

[tiddles]

Has civic amalgamation been a good or bad thing for the former burghs and villages of Inverclyde?

[samfregreenock]

Jan 28, 2012 18:42:40 GMT 1 tiddles said:

Has civic amalgamation been a good or bad thing for the former burghs and villages of Inverclyde?

Probably not - BUT

I don't think it could have carried on the way it was before though, just because of costs
Although I do think there is a lot of room for local towns to run more of their own affairs with a joined up approach to some stuff - with a local council in each town being elected as it was back then

With an independent Scotland, this my become more of an easier task

[tiddles]

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 was meant to give the population a greater say over civic affairs and it was also seen as a method for eradicating municipal waste of resources.

It was a total disaster. The Regional Councils introduced an additional tier of administration and led to greater isolation from the public. It was a miniature version of the European Union and boy was it a gravy train.

The new, District Councils saw the amalgamation of many disparate communities which never seemed to please anybody. In our area it marginalised Port Glasgow and totally buggered Gourock and our quaint little villages got subsumed into the Inverclyde mash. Even the name Inverclyde had no history or provenance, it was a joke. By 1990, it was clear the Regional Councils were unfit for purpose and by 1995, they were gone and we had even larger, unitary authorities.

At the bottom of the great multi-tiered cake lay the Community Councils. Their purpose was to complete the, 'power to the people' process but with one of two exceptions, they were little more than a place for wee ladies to gather and talk about the Guild and broken pavements. It is not widely known but these little, 'clubs' are quite well funded and very little is done in the way of scrutinising of what they spend the taxpayer's dosh on. But they don't advance the cause of local accountability one bit. They are riddled with people with profound political opinions who use those opinions to good effect for their respective parties. If you ever attend one of their meetings, NEVER, EVER question them, you're liable to be stabbed with handily placed crochet hooks!!!!

But....crawling about in the bilges of the municipal hulk are the Nells of this world, the little cabals that run all the Centres and this group and that group. Little empires are built and woe betide any politician who tries to come to grips with them. Of course this is all grist to the mill for the Labour Party, they love it. Through these shadowy, unaccountable people, they can manipulate the gullible population. It all costs a great deal of money but just try asking how much it costs and you'll meet the most solid wall you could ever dream of. What do they do for us all? Bugger all. What do they do for themselves? Plenty!

Then..........we have the Bristow Empire. A vast, TOTALLY unaccountable organisation run by a man who's honesty and trustworthiness have been paraded in full, open court and found VERY wanting. EVERY aspect of our lives has been touched, fondled and probed by Mr Bristow and his acolytes. Even when all those pathetic youths gathered to undergo, 'audition' from Binkie Beaumont for that execrable, 'Waterloo Road', who was lurking in the background? Why the Emperor Jim of course!!! How much does he earn? Where does his, 'funding' come from? Who appointed him? Who continues to appoint him in his J Edgar Hoover-like, job for life?

Not content with running this autocracy himself, he has brought in his Crown Prince, the son and heir to the Bristow Fortune. What does this prince-ling do? Your guess is a good as mine and rumour has it that he brought other members of his family in too...good grief!!!!

So, the old burghs and villages had their own problems and yes, there were quite a few examples of corruption but at least, every year, part of the council had to retire and a new local election took place. Labour did NOT have it all its own way...THEN.

So, is our local union working? Well despite £millions pouring in over 45 years, we are in the mire and as far as I am concerned we, the people, lost out and the political and Labour-Bristow-Nell faction won.