GMB oppose takeover of Norfolk Fire Service by Police Commissioner
GMB support widespread opposition to Police Commissioner option of taking over Norfolk Fire Service
The Norfolk brand of Tory Councillors seem to have a knack for sneaking in significant changes without public consultation and this is a typical example, says GMB London
GMB, the union for staff at Norfolk Fire Service, are supporting the widespread opposition to a proposed takeover of the governance of the Fire Service by the Police Commissioner. The proposal for ‘Option 3’ was offered in an independent review of options for the future of Police and Fire and Rescue Service governance in Norfolk undertaken by Grant Thornton. [See notes to editors for Grant Thornton Options Report within the Norfolk Police and Crime Panel Agenda]
The report ranks 4 options for the future of the Norfolk Police and Fire Rescue Service by its results in four categories including; Economy and Efficiency, Effectiveness, Public Safety, and Deliverability. Option 3, the transferring of the governance of the Fire Service to the Police Commissioner came out top.
The report claims the takeover will result in a more streamlined decision making process, however it also suggests the possibility of a new fire precept on the council tax, to be increased by 2% every year. Grant Thornton state the financial benefits of the takeover would be “modest.”
All of the 84 Norfolk County Councillors have declared that they are against the takeover, however Norfolk’s Tory MPs have all backed the proposal from the Police Commissioner.
Dave Dennis, GMB Branch Secretary said:
“The Norfolk brand of Tory Councillors seem to have a knack for sneaking in significant changes without public consultation and this is a typical example.
“They did this once before with dire consequences and that cost to the Norfolk public was 30+ million pounds. I am of course referring to the badly thought out attempt to build an incinerator within the town boundaries.
“The question that I would like an answer to, is why as a so called rich country are we still trying to save money in the public sector whilst many of the rich organisations and rich friends of the Tories seem to be immune to paying their fair share of taxes?
“We the population of this country buy the products that these organisations produce, paying our taxes and they then bank their profits from our money in seedy off shore accounts safe from the British tax offices.”
ENDS
Contact: Dave Dennis 01553 810 790 or 07772 873 208 or Gary Doolan 07590 262 504 or GMB London Press Office 07970 114 762
Notes to Editors:
Grant Thornton Review
“Independent review of options for the future of Police and FRS governance in Norfolk” (10 Jan 2018)
