LEWISHAM: Mayor increases cabinet to make £60m cuts Wednesday 19th May 2010

From Mark Chandler at the NewsShopper

'HE NEEDS to make £60m worth of cuts but that has not stopped a mayor appointing two new cabinet members - each claiming an extra £15,298 a year. Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock’s nominations for his new cabinet, which will increase in size from seven to nine people, the maximum allowed, will be confirmed at the AGM on May 26.

Among them are Councillors Damien Egan and Joan Millbank who take on the new roles of member for the Third Sector and member for Strategy and Communications respectively. Cabinet members get an allowance of £15,298 on top of their £9,812 basic rate. But Sir Steve dismissed the idea that the cabinet increase was insensitive at a time when £60m of council cuts are planned over the next three years.'

Full article here
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/lewgreen/8171707.LEWISHAM__Mayor_increases_cabinet_to_make___60m_cuts/

What do you think?

Insensitive given the cuts that the Mayor is saying 'have to be made' - I wonder if the new cabinet holders will vote these cuts through? Or alternatively they could take a lead from the former Socialist Cllrs and vote against the cuts and with their large majority win a motion to take a policy of No Cuts back to central government.

Like our councillors did here http://www.socialism.org.uk/manifesto/liverpool.html

Ok I hear the cynics say - its easy for you to say that. Actually it is. I spent 7 years plus actually doing that along with Ian Page - voting against cuts time and time again in a principled stand. And like the Liverpool councillors we challenged the idea that 'there is no alternative.'

Unfortunately I cant see our Labour Councillors in Lewisham defending the community and fighting the cuts so we are going to have a bumpy ride in the next period! Prepare for a fight everyone!