Arthurian Legend

"Once back here I got to thinking - 'how do I get out of this?' Perhaps the really haunting spectre is that I would have to turn my back on the lake, and the prospect of the sword." Alan Clark, Diaries - 19th May 1999

Saturday 5 May 2007

Local election rubbish

Tim Hames makes a good point in today's Times:-

"this wheelie bin revolt helped to boost Tory numbers. It does, nonetheless, raise the question as to whether the theme of “vote blue, go green” will be a winner for David Cameron in the longer term."

An even bigger problem is that, as Richard North on the EU Referendum blog repeatedly points out, the moves towards fortnightly collections are in direct response to the ever-increasing cost of such collections, thanks to the EU's Waste Framework Directive. This is estimated to cost the UK around £10-£12 billion extra in terms of landfill taxes, the building of recycling facilities, and EU fines for failing to comply in time with the EU's recycling targets.

The Conservatives now taking control of more and more councils will be virtually powerless to negate the effects of these bigger systemic problems. The only hope is that they will be able to find effeciency gains elsewhere that can offset the costs of the effects of the Waste Framework Directive. In some places, they may be able to. But in many they probably won't. Which means that the more the Conservatives win now, the bigger the likely future loss will be when "local Conservative goverment" is unable to deal with this problem effectively.

Since this Directive was inspired by waste management solutions in countries very different from the UK, it is a clear example of how local government has now been all but emasculated not only by Westminster but by Brussels, itself beyond the control of Westminster and the British electorate of any description or configuration.

That is why for the moment, whilst the local election results may be a harbinger of forthcoming Conservative victory in the next General Election, the practical consequences that will flow from a change of administration at the local level will be much less than any main political party will care to admit.

6 comments:

Newmania said...

Thats a very good point AL although I do not think the wheelie bin revolt was all that important myself .

One thing that dies crop up is poltical dishonesty. This is where the fact we do not run our country might hitch a ride. I have saying for the last year that a lot of votes can be used against democracy and twe have aclear demonstration of it in Scotland at the basic level of incomprehension .

You may also have noticed how it is taken as read that Salmon will use poltical ower to create conflict with the Union . This is the way forward for the Euro sceptic.

I see no other and it must be whithin the Conservative Party

Old BE said...

All very well to blame the Directive - but I bet the Netherlands doesn't have the same stupidity as we do.

It's our politicians who are to blame - and if it's the Directive's fault then it's our politicians who are to blame for signing up to it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I agree with the previous poster. It's our politicians that are to blame. They're only there to make a career - and to hell with everyone else.
The sooner we abandon the outdated concept of 'party politics' and vote on issues instead, the better.

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