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Could this possibly be true ..?
A maverick mayor elected after promising to slash council spending,
Clear the streets of yobs and ditch politically correct services is the torchbearer for how towns should be run, he says.
On his first morning as Mayor of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, Peter Davies cut his salary from £73,000 to £30,000 then closed the council’s newspaper for "peddling politics on the rates".
Now, a few weeks into his job, Mr Davies is pressing ahead with his plans, he hopes will see the number of town councillors cut from 63 to just 21, saving taxpayers £800,000.
Mr Davies said: "If 100 senators can run the United States of America, I can’t see how 63 councillors are needed to run Doncaster".
He has withdrawn Doncaster from the Local Government Association and the Local Government Information Unit, saving another £200,000. Mr Davies said,"They are just talking shops".
"Doncaster is in for some serious un-twinn'ing. We are twinned with probably nine other cities around the world and they are just for people to fly off and have a binge at the council’s expense".
The mayor’s chauffeur-driven car has also been axed by Mr Davies and the driver given another job. Mr Davies, born and bred in Doncaster, swept to power in the May election with 24,244 votes as a candidate for the English Democrats, a party that wants tight immigration curbs, an English Parliament and a law forcing every public building to fly
the flag of St. George.
He has promised to end council funding for Doncaster’s International Women’s Day, Black History Month and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans-gender History Month.
He said, "Politicians have got completely out of touch with what people want. "We need to cut costs. I want to pass on some savings I make in reduced taxes and use the rest for things we really need, like improved children’s services".
Mr Davies has received messages from well wishers across the country and abroad as news of his no-nonsense approach spreads.
Now it’s your chance to spread this most sensible way to run a town council.
An honest and pragmatic man in charge for a change?
Is it really possible?
MP's, do you think that they could take a hint from this man?
15 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
good for him
a voice of reason
- Mike BLv 61 decade ago
Mr Davis and Doncaster are heading for a mighty crash with this, he is actually doing his constituents no favours in the long term.
I doubt he will be re-elected as his reactionary 'policies' take hold, and could potentially through his council into very deep water that could cost far more of the taxpayers money than he could ever save this way.
Note the following:
CLEAR THE STREETS OF YOBS
What does he class as yobs, teenagers with no facilities that THEY want to use, children of the very voters that elected them, how is going to get them off the streets, by issuing penaly notices that his voters are going to have to pay?
Who is going to pay for the enforcement officers to issue these penalties, the tax-payers of Doncaster, who else?
So instead of building a couple of skate parks, facilities for making music, computer suites, youth centres etc, he is going to penalise the aprents of the kids of Doncaster, and the kids themselves who within a few years will be voters themselves.
ENDING 'MINORITY' FUNDING
Thios sounds like a good idea on the surface, but think this through, how many of the voters and tax payers in Doncaster belong to those groups, do you think they are going to vote for him again, let's face it International Womens Day, my guess is that is half the voters of Doncaster, and propbably some of the mothers of the kids he has already kicked of the towns streets, add the gay, lesbian, transgender and ethnic voters, also taxpayers of Doncaster, to that and suddenly a majority will easily be voting against him next time.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION/INFORMATION UNIT
THis sounds like a really useful saving, but then is it in real terms, the fact that it is a talking shop is actually important to councillors and council officers, and add to that these are grant finding and funding organisations, they share best practise, and are a way of councils communicating nationally, the reality of this is that for a very small amount of money out of Doncaster's money he has taken his council out of the information loop, and so will not know what is going on unless he then recruits researchers to find out, therefore effectively wiping out his own saving and taking his council out of organisation that may fund some of the projects and facilities the people of Doncaster need, go back and think of youth facilities that will keep the 'yobs' of the streets.
CANCELLING THE PAPER
This is an interesting one, it is something that most right wing politicians do, often with the support of the people who think it is expensive.
Then you hit the buffers as the letters of complaint start flooding in that people don't know when the bin men collect, they can't find the new often 'reduced' library opening times, people start complaining about getting letters about changes in rules. etc.
This happens now with the Greater London Authority, after our erstwhile mayor cut the paper, he seems to be under the misapprehension that everyone uses the internet and reads the Greater London Authority website.
Then the council concerned starts having to dish out leaflets, that are more expensive than the paper.
The reality is that these papers cost peanuts to produce and if properly run, can actually cover that cost with a few adverts.
If he thinks he can reduce the number of councillors, fair enough, but then he also reduces the amount of work those councillors can do representing the voters, as for his car, his salary that is his choice.
As for flags, he can fly whatever he wants from his Town Hall, his own Union Jack underwearif he wants, if the people of Doncaster agree, then fine, I'm sure if they don't they will soon let him know.
Politicians have lost touch, yes, I agree, but not in the way he thinks they have, from what I have seen and heard when he has been interviewed he seems to think we still live in some 1950s idyll that only really ever existed in Ealing comedies.
Mr Davies is Mayor of a small Yorkshire town, I do know something of Doncaster, that has some real social problems, these are not going to be solved by the policies he embraces, in reality he will make them a lot worse.
Aside from that there are organisations that when people start to complain may result in him being stopped in his tracks by the local government ombudsman and the local government inspection teams, sooner or later one of those 'minority' groups will get to the point they feel as if, as taxpayers, they are not getting their share.
Source(s): Just living in 2009 not 1949! - Helen SLv 71 decade ago
It is absolutely true Michael, the man is genuine in his beliefs and his ethics. He is striking fear into local councils with vastly overpaid and gold plated pensioned senior officers. They're basically Pyramids which need dismantling. When he gets this right in Doncaster, a mainly Labour voting area, perhaps the blueprint will be passed around the rest of the country. However, i doubt very much if Westminster will adopt it, and actually, that should be up to the electorate.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Lucky Doncaster! Perhaps a few more councils could emulate him. our council spent thousands erecting a Totem pole for F's sake! I have yet to see an American Indian walking down the high street. I forget what the excuse was for this gross waste if my council tax on this fiasco.
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- 1 decade ago
Not sure about cutting funding to the "minority" events though, that's some serious water to get into with a good chunk of the local constituents. Other than that he's got his head on right.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Hope he isn't hounded out for his approach.
Fantastic !
Councils need to remeber thay are non profit making organisations and serve the public therefore take a more practical approach to budgeting.
- 1 decade ago
It does sound too good to be true but I have to agree with Sapphire, will he be allowed to continue with this 'No nonsense' approach and how many toes will he tread on before someone makes a serious attempt to oust him. Good luck though, Exemplo Ducemus.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
More power to his elbow! Hail Mr Davies! Mr Davies for PM of UK.
- 1 decade ago
Wow. An honest politician. Lets hope he succeeds and all other councils follow suit.
- SapphireLv 61 decade ago
He does sound too good to be true but it would be reassuring to think that there are MP's like him out there. Time will tell if he sticks to his agenda or more to the point will he be allowed to?
- Anonymous1 decade ago
is he planning to further reduce the numbers running Donacaster to 1 perhaps?
Good story though!