An ‘historic alliance’ announced in Cabinet has raised eyebrows from other groups purportedly involved.
Questions have been raised over Cllr Tony Hooke’s comments to the Cabinet of Hampshire County Council regarding an ‘alliance’ between the trade unions Unison, Unite, UKIP and the Labour Party to fight proposed cuts to HCC staffing. Cllr Hooke said in a meeting of the Cabinet on 28th October “We’ve now formed probably an historical alliance with our colleagues in Unite and Unison and Labour.” Hampshire County Council is planning to cut 1000 jobs by 2015 as part of cost cutting measures introduced due to Government funding cuts.
A webcast of the meeting can be seen here. However it appears Cllr Hooke may not have consulted the other groups allegedly involved prior to his announcement as both Labour and Unison deny any ‘alliance’ has been formed.
Cllr Hooke said of his comments to Cabinet “It is crucial that we scrutinise the proposed cuts as to press on with them as they are will damage the community for years to come. We cannot afford to cut any more from our frontline services.The purpose of the cross party talks is to propose alternative strategies to make the savings. Criss Connor had committed to come to our meeting and I think it is publicity which has made him change his mind. I’m deeply uncomfortable that Labour are turning their backs on the workers and leaving us to fight for jobs without their support.”
Criss Connor, Labour Group Leader said “Like any political party we are prepared to talk to any other political party if it for the benefit of the public and particularly the employees of the County, on that score with regard to Deeside [care home] I was prepared to talk to UKIP with Unison regarding keeping the building open, retaining jobs for staff and keeping residents in their home.”
He continued “At no time was there any suggestion of any formal alliance between the two parties, it was very much a discussion on the basis of there being a possible benefit to the County. We have never received an invite to a cross party meeting with them.”
A spokesman for Unison told Andover Town that it was “against the rules of the union to hold any formal links with any political party other than Labour.”
The support of workers rights by UKIP in Hampshire comes as a surprise to many after their policy, posted on the UKIP website earlier in the year, was noted for stating “UKIP would put an end to most legislation regarding matters such as weekly working hours, holidays … overtime, redundancy or sick pay etc.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Hooke has angered some local residents by suggesting, on a social media website, that he fight Test Valley councillors in exchange for donations to a local community project. After a number of posts questioning his comments both his profile and the Facebook group have been removed. Cllr Hooke said “The boxing comments were made very much tongue in cheek and I am surprised that some local residents took them so seriously.”
Hampshire County Council said “The County Council does not comment on matters relating to Members’ conduct issues.“
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People really need to get a grip here. The conduct of the Tory’s since Cllr drew lost his seat has shown exactly why so many people are turned off of politics full stop and can’t be bothered to vote anymore for anyone. Cllr Carr’s letters each week in the Advertiser just show how pathetic its all become, I am sire his constituents would prefer he put as much effort into replying to them and carrying out his duty as a Cllr. But I guess thats a little tricky when you spend so little time in the UK. Grow up the lot of you, if you can not conduct yourselves with the dignity and respect that the public deserve step down and retire gracefully. I see 7 year olds with more credibility. As for a boxing match personally I am all for banging a few heads together and we already have bear fighting every week in the House of Commons – its called PMQ’s.
Surprised that such an important issue was trivialized by tongue in cheek references to the raising of funds for a community project. Surely these are 2 separate stories, with the main issue being the fight to save thousands of jobs? Cllr Hooke and his colleagues have put up the majority of the resistance to the closure of 4 care homes in the County. The same team is preparing to scrutinise the £90,000,000 of cuts and propose an alternative strategy which will have the same result in savings without the sacrifice of front line jobs.
I was actually in the Cabinet meeting, as an observer, behind Cllr Hooke and sat beside a County Officer of Unison. He was fully in agreement with what Cllr Hooke was saying. UKIP and the unions, and it was thought the Labour party group in HCC, were united in fighting cuts to staffing in front-line services where previous cuts have already reduced staff to a “thin red line”. And now a “thin purple line” has joined with them in protecting both essential services for ratepayers and the jobs of those delivering them. The word “alliance” has perhaps been misinterpreted, it was not meant in the sense of a formal coalition, but in the sense of a team working together with a common aim.
And that common aim is to deflect the County Council from its insane and insensitive drive towards cutting services. I myself scrutinized the 2012 accounts of HCC on behalf on Cllr Hooke and we identified at least a dozen items where there is the potential for cuts, NOT affecting the front-line. Let me give just one example – the Council spends millions on external management consultants and managers. There is surely scope to cut that one, as there is with many of the others.
I know I’m always banging on about this, but what we have here is another example of party politics taking precedence over what the real issues are about. HCC budgets need scrutinising, staff need their jobs protected and the care homes should only close, only if and when the new ones are built.
If the individuals concerned here were Independent councillors the issues above would probably be discussed with ease. All we’ve got here, is A can’t talk to B because party C says so etc etc. There is also a Union involved (daft name in my opinion!) who aren’t grateful enough to have support from someone who’s trying to help them!
At town and county level we need councillors who gain respect from standing on their own two feet, making their own decisions and from acting for those who they are meant to be representing. What we seem to have ended up with is groups of people, many of whom are only acting in self interest, who dictate to their voters rather than listening to what is really wanted.
The trouble here is that you get someone who is passionate in what they believe is the right thing to do,and stands up and speaks for the good of the public. Others agree, but when it comes to crunch time, they go in denial!(honestly, it is like children in a playground) Many of you Councillors need to grow a pair of balls. If the public knew what the conservatives were up to behind closed doors, then most of them would not of voted for them in the first place.