David Cameron's mother signs anti-cuts petition.

Yes, during a visit to her sons own constituency, Mary Cameron signed a petition against cuts which could see the closure of 44 out of 52 children's services centres in Oxford. Council workers will be striking in protest, by way of a twenty four hour walkout. The cuts are designed to save eight million pounds over the course of their effect, but at the cost of one of the most successful early intervention services in the country.

As mentioned in the article (linked below) it really tells you something about austerity politics, when even David Cameron's mother will sign a petition against it.

Apparently the PM wrote to Oxford council, to express his disappointment at the planned closure of several sites, including elderly service centres, museums, and libraries, and received an indignant reply from the leader of Oxfords council, who cited the failings of the budget set by central government as the primary cause of the necessity to close the sites in question.

My personal feelings on all this are as follows.

It is the height of bad form to with one hand remove funding from the budget allowed to local councils, and with the other hand pen a letter which seeks to complain at the obvious, unavoidable, and entirely predictable effects of those cuts. The entire process of the writing of that letter to Oxford council, on the part of Mr Cameron, can only have had its origin in two, entirely flawed bits of reasoning. Either our Prime Minister is not aware that cuts to budgets mean cuts to services, or he believes that issuing a letter will cover a significant quantity of his rear, when it comes to public opinion or support for his policies.

In any event, the only way to avoid the cuts which are planned, is for our PM to have a word with his friend and partner in crime, Mr George "Noddy" Osborne, who wrote the budget which necessitated these cuts in the first place. The reality is that our PM and his Chancellor are thick as thieves, and to be fair, that is what you want in a pair of fellows in their position, unified thinking, resulting in a cohesive set of policies and budgets which compliment each other. However, the fact that Mr Cameron's own mother signed a petition, and the fact that the PM himself is complaining about cuts to front line services and public institutions, cuts that HE helped to bring about, suggests to me that the Prime Minister knows exactly what his activities are doing to people who really matter, the vulnerable, the sick, the poor, the young and the old.

The specific matter of children's services cannot be overstated in its importance. Children who grow up supported by BOTH their families, and society in general, grow to love both in the main. Being supported at every stage of development, getting the opportunities that come with appropriate levels of child services that a young person can access, these things are priceless, not just to the individuals that the service is rendered to, but the whole of society, because individuals who are supported tend to be more likely to flourish, and make something of themselves to the point where they will give something back later on.

That is the greedy, society serving way to look at it, but let's face it, these services should be in place regardless of outcome. It just so happens though, that Oxford has had some of the most astoundingly successful child services systems in the country, for some time, and that is something that central government should have thought about, before reducing the budget of not only Oxfords council, but ALL councils in England and Wales.

And now we know, that even his own mother agrees.

"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"

BBC link:
www.bbc.co.uk...

Independent:
www.independent.co.uk... l

Isn't Oxford one of the better off locations when it comes to personal wealth and security to way of life?

What I mean is Oxford tends to have a majority of high paying jobs and therefore a higher quality of living? I may be wrong.

Cuts have effected everyone and it's of my opinion they have effected areas more which should have recieved additional funding other the last 5 years. Areas such as Manchester or Grimsby... Places with dreadful child services.

It might be just me being an idiot but I cannot imagine Oxford ever needing such dedicated child services... Again probably just me being unfairly judgemental but I rarely hear of Oxford children being desperate for services designed to protect and better their lifes.

Meanwhile other parts of the UK we have huge systematic failures all too often.

a reply to: RAY1990

Oxford is not only what you may have seen in an episode of Inspector Morse. There's more to the population of Oxford than well to do Dons and folk with leather patches on their tweeds!

www.oxford.gov.uk...

This link will explain that some areas of Oxford are in real trouble at the moment, with lack of skills, jobs, and high crime rates. Have a butchers, as it will no doubt be informative.

After the piggy tale story about him that came out 'as was posted on the cover of that Magazine showing all the World Leaders, forgive me i can't remember the name of it, maybe Mummy has finally had enough. I hope she kicks his A@@

Oh no, not that stalwart of world economics, Mary Cameron...

a reply to: awareness10

Indeed. To draw from the immortal genius of the Monty Python crew once again "A SPANKING! A SPANKING!"

Yes, I think it is high time that dearest Mama got her belt around the rump of the overgrown child that she raised. He reminds me much more of one of those children who only built something to then destroy it, and never realised that there is more to life than knocking down not only what one has wrought by ones own hand, but also knocking down that which was wrought by others.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Alternatively, as his mother has no responsibility for fiscal policy in the UK she is expressing a personal opinion and the fact that the Independent seems to have gone looking at names on the petition and then contacting her asking for her view seems to me to be not the most ethical pieces of journalism I've ever come across. She also said she wouldn't be providing the media with any comment so her reasons for signing it are quite rightly hers and hers alone.

I notice you appear to have absolved the labour government for the fk up they made of this countries finances between 1997 and 2010, making it purely the fault of the chancellor whose name you can't even say without making a childish reference - some would call that inverted snobbery.

Having said that, cuts to frontline services are bad, no other way of putting it, but at the same time more responsibility should lie with councils to be proactive in their own areas - incentivising companies to base themselves in their area, looking at options for any opportunities - that is part of their remit and always has been. Regardless of the colour of the governing party, central government does not totally finance councils, they have a share of responsibility and are the ones that decide where cuts should be made. As an example, Derbyshire county council are looking to sell/have sold (can't remember if it's sold yet) their very stately HQ in Matlock - an area where property comments a very high price after decades of being camped there when lower cost accommodation would always have been adequate.

a reply to: RAY1990

A more complete answer to your insightful post is in order RAY1990.

You are absolutely right when you say that there are other areas which are suffering more broadly, and to a greater depth than Oxford, when one looks only at each counties attributes at the county or city level. And let me clarify, I believe that the cuts in those locations have savaged an already suffering group of people in those areas, in all areas. There is no town, county, or city which has had improved cirumstances from the perspective of the vulnerable, sick, poor, young or elderly, as a result of government operations over the course of Tory governance under Cameron.

However, the reason I wrote this thread, is to highlight that even Oxford, whose reputation is understandably focused on its university and historical gravitas, has been effected by these cuts and in a significant, and negative manner, and furthermore, that even Mr Cameron's own mother has signed a petition which seeks to give a voice to those who are not being adequately represented by the government, evidence of which is the fact that the cuts have been planned, and are at the moment looking as if they will go through.

It is perhaps more impactful, when you realise that Oxford as a concept, is seen as a much more wealthy and prosperous place than some of those you mentioned in your post, and yet even its council is heading toward closing a massive percentage of its public service provision locations. For those who are not aware of, or simply ideologically in agreement with the severity of the cuts, and what they really mean for EVERYONE in the country, this should be a stark reminder that even those areas seen as well to do, and above the concerns of those who are on, or approaching the breadline, ARE being negatively effected, to the detriment of the future of those locations and the people living in them.

I am all too aware that things are worse elsewhere and on a much larger scale, but unfortunately, a story about cuts in Grimsby, or Bootle, or Glasgow simply does not have the same impact, as one which highlights the circumstances in a relatively well off area. Also, David Cameron's mother did not sign a petition in any of those locales, which is sort of the point.

a reply to: uncommitted

I do not absolve the red Tories of 97 to 2010 of a damned thing.

However, there are other, better options available than cutting services for the poorest, including chasing back taxes and contracted suppliers to government, who have routinely overcharged our government by hundreds of percent for services and goods rendered to its departments, and then hidden their ill gotten gains off shore, and out of the way of the taxman. One of the departments which is most hit by this, is HMRC, who are responsible for collection of our taxes, and I am sure I do not need to tell you how stupid that makes these cuts look, when eradicating the billions lost to private supply firms in overcharging and failure to pay proper tax on their part, would render our nation in the pink for some time to come.

a reply to: RAY1990oxford is one of the most expensive cities to live in the country. I have a couple of nurse friends who struggle to afford to live there. One lives in a house of over 10 Spanish nurses. I think it's becoming impossible for a lot of people to live in the city.

I'm sure David Cameron never went short of anything in his life, so good on his mother for signing the petition. I'm sure she probably takes more notice of what's happening in her local community than her son, who seems oblivious to the struggles of others.

If were his mum I would be too ashamed to admit it.

Lying, cheating, abused sod.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Well said, it wasn't my intention to belittle the plight of Oxford council or imply those services were not needed. I find it very telling that cuts in the more affluent counties has such an effect on public services. It's true that since the Tories took the helm public services have took a huge knock especially on front line services. This was somewhat justifiable 6-8 years ago because Labour did waste a lot of money in schemes and such in the public sector.

However, over time the Tories have twisted their plan of cutting over-the-top benefits into slashing the hell out of all public services, it makes no fiscal sense whatsoever. When services such as counselling or drug rehabilitation are ended because a council cannot support it the NHS eventually foots the bill and the bill goes up in a time funding is going down.

It's an embarrassment for David Cameron to complain about cuts when said cuts are happening from policies the Tories have brought. Maybe Oxford could do better in terms of management but at the end of the day it's the Tories that want ALL the fat cut off public expenditure.

a reply to: RAY1990

Indeed.

I find their lack of action against corporate fraud telling also, when compared with the savagery they level against the poor, those on benefits, even against the working poor.

If they were serious about slashing public expenditures they should have started with the biggest contributors to our losses, those being private companies with whom the government has contracts.