Re: Ukip
 

Read this week that many councils are sitting on substantial amounts of cash - "savings for a rainy day"
Would be very interesting to hear from one of our councillors how big the Hyndburn Reserve Account is.

Re: Ukip
 

Our £3.50 was spent promoting the Market wasn't it?
Have you noticed, when you visit friends around here every household has a half finished doyley lying about the place?

Re: Ukip
 

Maybe I can help.

At the beginning of this year it stood at £3.1million, thanks to prudent financial management in recent years.

But before suggesting a spending spree, it should be noted that this is not a big amount for a Council with a multi million pound turnover, facing a multitude of financial threats from all sides.

Which threats? Well, let me quote the Council's Director of Resources in his budget report last year:-

The MTFS (Medium Term Financial Strategy) outlines the large number of potential claims on our expenditure from items that are not contained within the Budget.... Some of the potential calls upon the Reserves are listed below from the MTFS:-
　
* the Governments stated intention to significantly revise the distribution method for the allocation of grants to local authorities, this could lead to a further major reduction in our revenue source at short notice in 2013/14

* the threat of having to repay land charge search fees after a ruling from Europe that these fees have been levied contrary to European Environmental Law.

* the threat of substantial increased costs from Government proposals to transfer Council Tax Benefit to the Council.

* the increased threat of industrial action during a period of public sector pay restraint and job losses

* the Government’s stated intention to end paying Housing Benefit and the potential for large residual costs that may fall upon Councils in terminating this service

* the increased threat of employment tribunal awards during a period of staff reductions and employee relations tension

* emergency spend pressures in-year, due to one-off items of capital or revenue spend

* risks around the conclusion of the Housing Market Renewal Programme

* the continuing trading difficulties experienced by Leisure in Hyndburn

* financial pressures on partner organisations and the third sector in general.

* supplier failure during an elongated recession

* environmental warranties on our land and guarantees provided to Hyndburn Homes over land transferred to them

* the threat that Central Government will pass fines from Europe directly to Councils if the UK fails to meet its targets on climate change and environmental improvements.

* continuing reductions in our fees and charges income as the Recession continues.

This is not a fully comprehensive list of the all of the potential calls that could be made on the Reserves, however it provides some indication of the financial risks outside the core Budget that the Council could face.

So basically, it would be madness for the Council to substitute these reserves for core funding from central government. Both major parties at Hyndburn have, I believe, always supported this stance.

Re: Ukip
 

Hyndburn Council don't run Social Services, its Lancashire County Council, and as for the authority who removed the children from the UKIP foster carers, I really hope that there was more to the story that hasn't been made public.

Re: Ukip
 

Why would you hope there is more to the story? I would rather it turned out to be a stupid non story than to find the children had suffered any extra harm.

Re: Ukip
 

Anne obviously means that there may be more to the foster parents' background that makes simply being members of UKIP the tip of the iceburg.

Absolutely nothing to do with extra harm to the kids.

Bit surprised at you over that one, Less.

Re: Ukip
 

If that were so, the Social Services would have even more to answer for, since the family in question have apparently been approved foster carers for seven years. Besides I'm sure the media have been out and about digging for dirt and come up empty.

Seems to me to be an issue created by a crackpot PC jobsworth. The social services are quite good at preaching multiculturalism, equality and diversity but extremely poor at putting it into practice. This is out and out racism, just imagine the outcry if a white child were removed from a loving black foster family on the grounds of culture.

Don't forget this is fostering not adoption, these are emergency placements meant to temporarily protect kids from harm and keep them safe until a permanent solution is found.

Re: Ukip
 

basically these kids were removed because their foster carers want out of the EU and immigration cutting until this country can accomodate those it already has here.

mind you the way things are going with police cuts , council services cuts etc the UK may not be that an attractive prospect in a few years

social services seem to be unable to spot a problem when a child has bruises all over its body but the second someone caring for a child holds an opinion that differs to the fairy tail world do gooders live in the child is whisked away :mad:

Re: Ukip
 

My point is that we only know what's been reported in the press, as it stands it seems wrong but there may be other factors involved which we are not aware of - where are the press likely to have got the story from? Almost certainly not from Social Services who are also not allowed to defend their position in the media.

Re: Ukip
 

Sorry as it stands it don't seem wrong, It is certainly wrong simple as.

Re: Ukip
 

Not true at all!

Although individual workers are not allowed to make comment, Social Services as an entity is open to challenge and expected to give reasons for decisions. And they already have done, hence the one it has given....the political leanings of the foster parents!

You are looking for conspiracy theory when there so clearly isn't one in this case

Re: Ukip
 

yes it is due to the data protection act .they would go to jail.all we know they were ethnic minority kids.we dont know the evidence in which the social workers acted on.they cant say.maybe they were listening to david cameron Nigel Farage declares war on David Cameron over Ukip racism 'slur' - Telegraph :eek:

Re: Ukip
 

Do you even read the links you post before spouting your drivel?

God alone knows how you managed to link the Data Protection Act to this debacle because that particular law is not relevant to the points that are being raised.

You say 'they would go to jail'...who would? Everyone from social services, the whole of Rotherhams loony left Labour council, the kids, the foster parents?

We do know the evidence, we've known it all along and now we've had Joyce Thacker the PC social services jobsworth responsible admitting it and attempting to justify it.

Council defends taking foster children away from UKIP members - Telegraph

I know you're north of the border..but do try to keep up :D

Re: Ukip
 

Guinness - don't waste your time.
You can't put sense where there is none.

Re: Ukip
 

Is David Cameron a closet UKIP supporter because he appears to believe that multiculturalism has failed in the UK? Here is a speech of his BBC News - State multiculturalism has failed, says David Cameron