Councils are no longer fit for purpose

Over the past few weeks observing what is happening in Maidenhead and reading many articles in the ‘Tiser, I am becoming more and more convinced that our councils and our councillors are no longer fit for purpose.

Firstly, our council overspends by four million pounds and nobody notices. Was everyone in the Town Hall asleep?

Now Simon Dudley and MJ Saunders walk away without any accountability and we have to pay for it.

Our Advantage Cards are to be made virtually worthless, our library opening times are being cut back and all those people that were promised free parking permits forever are having to pay for them.

Council tax is increasing and many other services are being cut to the bone.

Next, we were told the refurbishment by Maidenhead Station was to be completed by Christmas but it is still not finished.

Why? Can anyone from the council tell us what the problem is?

In the ‘Tiser (January 9) we see the headline ‘Call for bins to keep paper dry’.

Apparently the residents of Wokingham are having problems keeping their paper recycling dry because the Wokingham Borough Council cannot work out what they need to do the job.

A spokesman for Wokingham Borough Council said: “Prompted by the new issues with recycling wet paper and card, we are looking at all options to provide the best waste and recycling collection service for our residents long term.”

Surely the answer is simple – use wheelie bins like we do in Maidenhead.

Sometimes I don’t need to put my bin out for two weeks and guess what? All my paper recycling stays completely dry. It’s not rocket science.

Is it any wonder that our local and national services are in the state they are in when a career in politics requires you to know absolutely nothing about the sector that you oversee?

Does the ‘lead for transport and infrastructure’ or the ‘secretary for transport’ actually know anything about transport and infrastructure?

Have they ever studied the subject at college or university? Or even driven a lorry or run a transport or bus company? Just what are their qualifications for the job?

Can you imagine what would happen if I applied for a job as motor mechanic and when asked what experience have you got I replied ‘well I’ve looked under a bonnet a couple of times but don’t worry I have some advisors that can help me out’.

That’s just how it works in local and national politics.

I think the time has come to have a major reformation of both local and national politics.

More transparency, no more spending public money without accountability.

I would advise all councillors to observe as Boris Johnson did that we have lent you

our vote and we can always take it back again KEITH CHAPMAN Cornwall Close

Maidenhead