Budget Debate at County Council

I will blog some fuller views soon.  But I have a busy schedule over the next few days.  So I thought I would post these few selfish early snippets about today.

Today has been a long day debating the County Council's budget.  I always thought it was going to be tough, and so it proved, please don't anyone pretend that these decisions don't weigh heavily on good Councillors - they do.  I got home at 10 o'clock this evening some 15 hours after I left home, relieved and extremely tired (but I confess to sneaking a crafty beer at the Railway in Whittlesey on the way back from the Station).  Given the decisions we were making today, I can only say that this sort of rigorous day is probably how it should be, even though it was extremely frustrating at times.

I am pleased that, in my opinion, the ruling Conservative group justified its budget and showed the Lib Dems headlines to be what they were, headlines and a budget proposal that was not deliverable.  I am sure others would differ.

It is a shame that a few people felt that unelected individuals shouting down a debate held amongst the elected was a good way of delivering democracy.  It wasn't and it was exposed as such.

I am pleased that my own passion for children's services were recognised by the opposition - and I thank David Jenkins for his compliment, and for the other opposition members who recognised the huge amount of work that went in to our budget.

I paid compliment today to the staff in Children's Services for their selfless attitude towards our budget and for the way they focussed on children rather than themselves in consultations.  I meant every word.

I was also complemented on the way I spoke today.  I personally didn't think I was as fluid as I have been in the past - but I tried to respond to the issues that were raised rather than read a prepared speech, so I suppose that was inevitable.  I hope it made my response sound genuine - because it was.

Today's budget has been portrayed almost as something apocalyptic.  It is tough, but it is not that disastrous - and now it is for the administration to deliver; I am sure we will.