Tory council adopts ‘no frills airline’ approach to local government

Not happy about this, not happy at all. I don’t think it’s right that money should allow access to a better form of local government, which is what is being proposed. Why should something happen faster for a resident just because they have more money? It’s not very socialist and i don’t like it.
“One of Freer's most controversial reforms so far has been to cut live-in wardens from sheltered housing for people such as Frindall. He lives in sheltered housing in Prospect Place where a live-in warden, Janet Conway, is effectively on call 24 hours to help care for the residents”

“The council spends almost £1.3m on support services in sheltered housing each year and a consultation document on the proposed cuts states: "There is no good evidence to support the present amount of funding for sheltered housing services. A reduction in funding would enable other kinds of services for older people in Barnet to be maintained."”

However,
“Walker, by contrast, is happy. She also lives in Finchley and broke a bone in her neck in an accident in April, forcing her to spend three weeks in hospital. When discharged she had to use a walking frame, struggled with the stairs and couldn't cook meals or make her own bed. She worried the local authority would want to put her in a home, but because it now has a policy of trying to avoid expensive long-term care, it instead offered a burst of intensive help in a bid to help her regain her independence, and it worked.”

However,
“It is an approach which upsets the opposition, which believes the Conservative administration has developed a blind spot for the poorer areas of the borough and focuses instead on appealing to affluent residents of areas such as Mill Hill, with its manicured golf courses.”
But then, it is the job of the opposition to say things like that.

Much as i hate to give the final word to a Tory, “"In the past we would do things to our residents rather than letting them choose for themselves," said Freer.”
If that’s more than just a cover for stripping back services and leaving the poor to suffer in silence then there may be some merit in there, but i’m won’t hold my breath.