Your blogger noticed an odd series of stories on the Echo website this week. Three stories, one after the other, coincidentally lined up for your reading pleasure.
“Last-ditch pleas fail to save kids’ centres in Southend“
“Doomed Southend care homes Delaware and Priory House headed for closure”
“MPs’ claimed £167,000 expenses over last year”
Completely unrelated stories, two about local services being scrapped, and one about the amount which Essex MPs have claimed in expenses in a single year. Southend West’s very own parliamentary hard man David Amess paid his wife somewhere one pound shy of £20k. Which is a little strange; basically just adding another £20,000
Still, at least he’s getting the train now with the rest of us plebs rather than claiming (another) £20k for a second home — and then running away from the Echo.
Meanwhile James “dullest man in Parliament” Duddridge claimed £28k. Whether he’s burning it or using it as toilet paper, your blogger isn’t sure. Apparently some £7,000 went on accommodation, and £15,000 on his office, and the remaining presumably £6,000 on food and travel and the like.
Not bad, if you can get it.
But back to the initial point. Local services, vital local services like children’s centres and care homes, are closing due to lack of funds. Said Cllr James Courtenay (children’s centre closer-in-chief):
“We’re in difficult times financially. If things were different, we wouldn’t be looking to make this level of reorganisation.“
If only there was a pot of money being indulgently over-used by a select elite whilst the rest of us struggle, a pot which could be scrapped instead of useful services for the vulnerable. If only.
Coincidences. Strange, ain’t they?
The View from the Pier 