Peoples Republic of South Devon

The LunchBox #5

October 27th, 2007

Posted by freeluncher @ Talking Liberties

I was bunking off school with a mate of mine many moons ago, when we chanced upon a house with smoke pouring out of an open back door. Being young and stupid, we rushed in to find a chip pan on fire and a bloke asleep in a chair. I woke the bloke up while my mate grabbed the chip pan with a wet towel and took it outside. Later in the day we both got into trouble for not being at school! I found out that day that a fire-fighters lot can be an unhappy one, and ever since I’ve felt an automatic sympathy for them. Therefore it is easy for me to extend my support and solidarity to our neighbours in Cornwall as they struggle to fight off attempts by the County Council to cut fire service provision.

Despite a huge campaign by local press, local people, and the fire brigades union, and despite the fatal Newquay hotel fire, the county councillors are still considering these insane cuts, which would leave Cornwall with no full-time fire cover at night. The only concession that the Council has made in response to widespread outrage is to undertake not to make a decision until the beginning of next year. This is behaviour typical of the Tories or even the New Labour Party, but amazingly the County Council in Cornwall which seeks to impose these cuts is controlled by the Liberal Democrats, the alleged “progressive force” in our body politic. And to add insult to injury the Council blames the fire-fighters for the alleged budget shortfall! Their budget report states –

“The Brigade’s projected expenditure in 2007-08 is already in excess of its base budget, requiring that £267,000 of its revenue funding will be provided from reserves. This position largely reflects the unfunded pay increases that were awarded following national industrial action…”

One has to wonder if the County Councillors took their own pay increases into consideration while drafting this budget? No doubt that is different somehow. One could be forgiven for expecting better from the Liberal Democrats, but they have acted no different from their political rivals once in positions of power. This is as true in Cornwall as it was during their time in coalition government in Scotland. And it is this, their policy in power that is causing their poll ratings to plummet, not the personality of their leader.

You can bet your last pound that if these proposals go through in Cornwall, then before long other local authorities, per chance our own Devon, will follow their lead and reduce fire cover at night, risking untold lives, to save a few miserable pennies. Which means Cornwall’s fight is our fight too. The very least we can do is sign their petition against the cuts. The Fire Brigade deserves better.
Sign the petition here.

Further reading –
Calls grow for council bosses to go, from the Fire Brigade Union

Fire brigade union turns up the heat, by Stephen Ivall on Packet News Online
Download the Cornwall County Council’s budget priorities docutment

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