In it together

I was at a picket of County Hall today just before a council meeting to discuss 38% cuts to services for the homeless.

With central government forcing cuts on local government, Conservative councils unwilling to stand up to central government are in a difficult position. Oxfordshire’s original plan to cut libraries was stymied by an articulate lobby headed by local author, Philip Pullman. The next plan, to cut children’s centres, also foundered in the face of vociferous opposition. Now the council thinks that homeless people, the least organised of all the vulnerable groups, are probably best equipped to fill the £1.5m hole in the budget. Some of the cash could come from closing one of Oxford’s three homeless hostels.

I wonder what 60 more people sleeping on the streets would cost the NHS and the police…

In other news today, the Royal Bank of Scotland (81% of which taxpayers were forced to buy in 2008 for £45bn, a stake that is now worth £ 31bn) declared that it expects to make an £8bn loss this year. In May the bank plans to ask shareholders to approve £500m expenditure on staff bonuses of 200% of salary.

Perhaps they’ve got a job for this guy.