When MORE is LESS!

[Acrylic-bob]

Peter Britcliffe, the esteemed leader of HBC, having proved that he has problems with English, has revealed yet another flaw; he is useless with maths too. Ordinarily, this would not be a problem and would be a matter for Mr. Britcliffe alone. But in the Leader of an authority with a multi-million pound budget, it has to give rise to some concern.



John Fahey, writing in The Observer for Friday 13th August 2004 (page 18), reports that Mr Britcliffe has been re-arranging the nick-nacks in his Cabinet. Nothing wrong there you might think, it’s something we all feel the need to do from time to time, I know Mrs. Acrylic-Bob does. To excess at times, claiming that she enjoys a good clear out. But I will leave the sad and sorry tale of Mrs. Acrylic-Bob’s laxative abuse, instructive though it may be, for another day if it’s all the same to you, and return to the matter in hand.



So, Mr Britcliffe has removed one nick-nack from his Cabinet; Councillor Jim Dickinson, his erstwhile deputy. And installed not one, but two replacements, Councillors Tony Dobson and Brian Roberts. A taste of real responsibility, how nice for them, their mothers must be so proud. Nothing wrong there either.



No, the problems start to creep in with Mr. Britcliffe’s assertion that his changes will save the Council money. Before the changes Councillors Dobson and Roberts had been entitled to £4,650 each as Cabinet members, plus the basic £3,100 that all councillors receive, making a total of £7,750 each. Now, because they are Deputy Leaders they receive £6,200 plus the basic allowance, making £9,300 each.



Now I am no mathematical genius, as Mrs.Acrylic-Bob, in her more lucid moments, will readily testify. But even I can see that two Deputy Leaders costing £9,300 per year in allowances, is more expensive than one Deputy Leader at the same rate. It’s simple really, and we all had to do this in Primary school. If apples cost threepence each. How much more expensive are two apples than one apple? Answers on a postcard to: Councillor P.Pritcliffe, C/o HBC, at the usual address.



Over the last thirty years we have all had to get used to Micky-Mouse politics from HBC. We live with the consequences daily. But to be expected to swallow a similar standard in basic arithmetic takes the biscuit!