Opinion : Let the people decide how services are delivered
One day, not too long ago, yours truly was sitting on a bench at lunchtime when I spotted two pigeons making their way towards a piece of bread laying on the pavement.
We all knew the piece of bread was doomed, if it stayed where it was the road sweeper would clean it up but most likely it would be eaten by one of the birds.
The two pigeons started fighting over the bread, neither willing to give up to the other. Unfortunately during their squabble they happened to move the piece of bread close to a drain and it slipped down into the depths of the sewer. Neither got their lunch and the bread was wasted.
You are probably wondering why my good self is using my blog to tell you about two pigeons who ended up going hungry? Well, the pigeons and the bread could be said to be a good analogy to compare with the future provision of local government in South Bucks.
At the beginning of May 2016 Bucks County Council announced that they would be pushing forward with a study to develop a business case for a single unitary council.
Now we have two organisations each working on proposals to reform the way municipal services are provided in our part of Buckinghamshire.
Swap the provision of services for a piece of bread and I fear the two pigeons are about to squabble again and we all know how that ends.
What do you think the chances are that both studies come to the conclusion that each of their options is best? Probably very likely.
Surely something as important as the provision of local services with tax payers money should be decided independently and centrally perhaps from Westminster?
When those involved in the matter start trying to decide the outcome of their own problems can the best possible result be achieved? Will the ordinary people who pay for the services get what’s best for them or what’s best for the organisations involved?
If the structure of local government does change and one or both of the parties involved comes a cropper then I fear some who have worked very hard may loose out their OBE’s and MBE’s. Naturally this would be a shame but local services should come before gongs.
Ultimately we, the people who pay the tax and receive the services, should be the ones who decide what happens going forward.
Let’s have a local referendum on the issue and give the people power to decide their future.
What do you think?
*My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.
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