Labour's own plan shows lack of clarity on council tax

Cllr Peter Zinkin on why the administration’s plans to close its £200m leave him concerned

The outside of Hendon Town Hall with a blue sign post providing details about the borough of Barnet — Hendon Town Hall

Last week I wrote about Labour’s contradictory position on council tax.

For months Labour councillors have tried to brush aside concerns about higher council tax bills. At the same time, they have repeatedly warned that Barnet faces one of the most serious financial challenges in its history.

Now their own published papers prove exactly why residents have every reason to be concerned.

Barnet’s new Financial Sustainability Plan relies on around £70 million per annum of additional council tax income over the next three years. It is the largest single quantified contribution currently identified towards closing the council’s financial gap.

Residents deserve to know that.

But this information is not in the published summary of the paper but hidden in an appendix. What struck me most when reading the papers was not the council tax figure itself.

It was everything that was missing.

The council says it needs to find £200 million of recurring financial benefits by 2029/30. Yet residents looking for a detailed explanation of how those benefits will actually be delivered will be disappointed.

The papers do not identify specific service reductions. They do not identify major asset disposals. They do not explain which charges may rise or set out detailed delivery plans for most of the target.

The result is a document that describes the destination far more clearly than the route to get there.

What struck me most is how familiar this all feels.

Under this Labour administration, Barnet has never lacked strategies. We have never lacked plans, frameworks, transformation programmes or vision documents.

In fact, the council is often very good at producing them.

The challenge has always been turning those ambitions into measurable results.

That is why these papers immediately brought to mind one of the recurring themes raised through external reviews of the Council’s finances: It is not enough to have the right strategy. Success depends on demonstrating how that strategy becomes a deliverable programme with clear actions, ownership and measurable outcomes.

Supporters of the administration will point to cost avoidance as a major part of the answer.

Nobody would argue against cost avoidance.

Of course, it’s better to help vulnerable families before they reach crisis point. Of course, it’s better to reduce demand for expensive services before that demand emerges.

The question is not whether cost avoidance is desirable. It is whether it can realistically deliver savings on the scale Barnet now requires and do so quickly enough.

Barnet is not trying to solve a financial problem ten years from now. It is trying to close a substantial financial gap over the next few years.

We all recognise that this is difficult, we told Labour that before the elections. But there needs to be explicit recognition that cost avoidance programmes require investment today in return for potential savings tomorrow. Some will work. Some may exceed expectations. Others may not. Even where they succeed, the financial benefits often take years to emerge.

The administration has an obligation to explain to residents how the long-term cost avoidance programmes will work and what the short-term financial implications will be.

I am not arguing there are no good ideas in these papers. There are, we laid them out in our manifesto.

The administration proposes procurement reform, technology projects, organisational change, debt recovery, service reviews and asset reviews.

Some of those initiatives are necessary, and some may generate savings. But a £200 million challenge cannot be met with aspirations alone.

We need a detailed delivery plan now and residents need to be told how difficult this is all going to be.

Labour’s own cabinet member for financial sustainability has previously argued that Barnet cannot solve its problems through council tax alone.

I agree.

Barnet residents are being asked to place a great deal of faith in future programmes, future reviews and future savings. What is missing is a clear plan.

That is why I remain concerned.

Barnet residents are facing a massive council tax hike, reduced services without any clarity as to how this will be achieved. The only certainty is the council tax increase. Residents deserve better.

Peter Zinkin is leader of Barnet Conservative group

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

ACT NOW!

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.