Cuts consultation - 'It resembles a tokenistic effort at best'

AMONG the heap of criticism thrown at the city council over its plans to make £90m in cuts, there has been a modicum of praise for its efforts to include the public in the debate.

Unfortunately, all the signs so far suggest that this praise has been unjustified.

As things stand, this much-lauded example of democracy in action resembles a tokenistic effort at best and an utter shambles at worst.

The first of six planned public meetings, held on Wednesday, did not bode well. Only 40 members of the public turned up to engage in the "Our City... Our Future" debate. At least 15 left before the end of an unsatisfactory evening.

No wonder. The questions they were asked were so banal and badly-worded that many abstained. Inevitably, few supported ANY specific cuts, yet nobody was asked where they SHOULD be made.

Key questions went unasked, such as who should be blamed for the financial black hole - Bankers? Government? Councillors? - nor if a council tax rise would be tolerated to keep key services going.

This was not a one-off shortcoming. Questions are being asked about a brochure printed as part of the exercise which includes cuts which have already been ruled out within the administration.

Little wonder that officials stand accused of just wasting yet more money and have been ordered to find ways to improve public participation at future summits.

When the council said it wanted local people to help shape its unavoidable cuts many sceptically said they were just looking for political cover. Unless they really start to listen, the deepest cut will be in confidence in the debate itself.

Benediction

So, after all the months of build up, preparation and hype, it is over.

Organisers seem happy with the numbers who turned out to cheer the Pope during his flying visit to the Capital, even if many observers felt the crowds - and indeed the euphoria - were not quite as big as had been expected.

If some stayed away, the controversy surrounding the visit may have been a factor, though Pope Benedict XVI did finally address the key issue of the church's failure to adequately respond to paedophelia within its ranks.

But let's look on the bright side. The visit went without a hitch, the city's roads are open again, and the sun-kissed Capital looked fantastic in images beamed to a billion people around the world.