I've been to a presentation this morning at the local Police station about the cuts.
What was apparent is that the forthcoming cuts from the ConDems are being taken very seriously. But as yet all management can do is speculate. Details won't come out until 20th October and even then the feeling today was that it won't be until December maybe before it is possible to formulate any idea of what the effect of the cuts might be in terms of policing and (from my point of view more importantly) people.
I'm not an economist so perhaps I'm not best placed to comment on the cuts. Do they need to be this drastic? Are the nation's finances really in such a bad position? Is it all the fault of the last government? Didn't the banks have a part in causing the mess?
So many questions. So few answers.
All I know is that as a minister I am encountering many people who are worried. Worried about whether they will have a job in a few month time. Worried about relatives who are going to need specialist care soon because of diseases such as dementia. Will that care be available? Worried about schools, libraries, social services, children in care. Worried about how to fund their children through university. You name it. People I meet are worried about it.
They are not worried about the size of the deficit or whether the UK will lose it's triple A credit rating if the deficit isn't tackled. Maybe they should be but I don't know. And I've yet to hear a clear rational explanation for why the deficit needs to be brought down so quickly by such drastic action.
Do the ConDemns not care? Or are they unaware of the effect this is having and will have? I don't know. But I can't help but feel they are very often far removed from the realities of everyday life. And are far removed from the concerns many public sector workers have yes for their jobs but equally for the services they provide to the public. Many of he public servants I've met are that - servants. they see their role as serving the public. Of course there are some who don't. And of course there are some who are a waste of space and do jobs that quite frankly are a waste of space too! But most have chosen to work in the public sector out of a sense of duty. And to see them so downhearted and worried greatly saddens me.
