The fundamental issue with the Council's finances is not one of financial stewardship but that we simply do not receive enough Government support relative to the needs of the residents of Havering. Until that fundamental issue is addressed then it wi… Read on blog or Reader Politics in Havering Read on blog or Reader Havering's Council Tax: The Consultation for Closing Four Libraries odeboyz May 31 The fundamental issue with the Council's finances is not one of financial stewardship but that we simply do not receive enough Government support relative to the needs of the residents of Havering. Until that fundamental issue is addressed then it will remain a challenge to balance the Council's budget.1 Closing four libraries is financially trivial. The two-year loan of £54m will cost £3.78m in interest annually. And in 2026 it will be an action replay. Salami slicing tactics2 are characteristic of political cowards. Tiny incremental cuts, which people can sort-of accept, and then wham: everything is gone. The 2022-3 overspend was 4.5%, "a £7.788m overspend against a final net budget of £173m,"3  which was structural. Only a government injection of £4bn into local authorities will prevent further deficits.4 The bleak possibility is that Havering's library service will be further reduced.5 Havering as helpless victim? The council makes significant political choices. Roughly a million-pound subsidy to non-Romford car park users is utterly political. A million pounds to encourage car use? Roughly £300,000 is subsidising the MetPolice for five officers who are called away for operational duties elsewhere. Roughly £100,000 is spent closing park gates - for the few parks that have gates. Roughly £500,000 goes on CCTV, which notoriously didn't prevent the arson attack on the Town Hall itself. And so on. The Consultation document6 is mendacious, "…the budget challenges the Council faces means the library service's budget needs to reduce".7 This is untrue. Closing libraries is a political choice. Notes 1 draft_20222023_statement_of_accounts.pdf (havering.gov.uk) 2 Salami slicing tactics - Wikipedia 3 draft_20222023_statement_of_accounts.pdf (havering.gov.uk) p11 4  The prospect of further real terms funding cuts is likely to exacerbate existing concerns about systemic underfunding, with the current funding gap already estimated at £4 billion. Financial distress in local authorities: government response to the Select Committee report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 5 The statutory minimum would be libraries in Hornchurch, Rainham and Romford. 6 Havering Council Libraries Consultation - London Borough of Havering Council - Citizen Space 7 loc.cit. Comment Like You can also reply to this email to leave a comment.

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