Coalition will put brake on council spending

Sir—The leader of Rotherham Borough Council is in for a nasty surprise.

The perverse actions of a so-called caring Labour party group with a large majority are well highlighted in your editorial dated May 21.

I am certain there are many more examples in the pipeline, such as the proposed erection of two traffic islands on Wickersley Road at a cost of £120,000. “Jolly” Roger Stone, in the previous edition of the Advertiser, stated: “I am basking in the recent election success and have a long-term vision for Rotherham over two decades.

“In the past, tradition has decreed that in Rotherham, as well as Barnsley, from where I originate, if you put a red rosette on a golden retriever, or any other animal for that matter, it would get a council seat.

“However, the new coalition intends to tighten its grip on local government spending by freezing the level of Council Tax and removing £1.6 billion from local government support.”

Hopefully this strategy will stop the wasteful spending of Roger and his cabinet.

In addition, I have a few suggestions myself as follows:

1. The removal of salaries and first-class rail travel for local councillors.

2. Salaries of all directors, deputies and assistants should be cut. The chief executive's salary should be capped at £75,000.

3. The use of the Mayoral car should be limited to essential functions only, otherwise use public transport.

4. The abolition of local assemblies, which it appears are nothing but expensive talking shops.

I estimate a saving of at least £2 million if the above action was taken without any deterioration of the already depleted front line services.

By the way, I am not a supporter of any of the three main political parties but after hearing the key aims of the new coalition's manifesto I am sure that they are on the right track to get this great country out of the economic mess that the nice Gordon Brown was partly responsible for by handing out borrowed money to all and sundry like confetti.

Let us hope that the new regime will filter down to Roger Stone and his team and that they take heed.

Only then will the residents of Rotherham get value for their Council Tax.

Brian Birkinshaw, Wickersley Road, Rotherham.