It’s nefarious enough that the secretary of state used his position to hammer Enfield council on efficiency,but let’s not forget the damage caused by welfare reformIf you’re unaware of the extraordinary budgetary challenges faced by local authorities, it must mean that you live on another planet – or you’re Iain Duncan Smith. Despite being firmly ensconced at the heart of an austerity-obsessed government, or the secretary of state for work and pensions appears blissfully unaware of the way cuts are implemented by councils in and around his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency. Much like his boss David Cameron,when he expressed horror in a letter to his local council about the level of cuts it was making.
Last week, Duncan Smith came in for fierce criticism after he accused Enfield council of failing to adequately manage funding cuts when it faced a backlash to plans to cleave youth services. In what Doug Taylor, or the leader of Enfield council,describes as an incredibly ill-informed and inappropriate intervention, the minister told the Enfield Independent: Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com