Seeking solutions and answering criticisms

Last week’s edition featured an opinion piece by Tameena Hussain which I feel needs to be responded to and the record set straight.

I’ve never had the opportunity to meet the author in person, let alone debate some of the points she raises, though in the interests of transparency I do understand that she was politically involved with some of my predecessors long before my time.

It is most curious, and perhaps somewhat disappointing, to read such a politically motivated article without the ability to put the counter view, though I would welcome any opportunity to meet with the author.

The author is correct that I stated in September 2019 that we would both listen more and be more transparent.

On both counts I think we have made significant progress.

In a politically charged environment we will never please everyone, nor with the cards we have been dealt to play, will we be able to duck the often unpopular, yet necessary, decisions.

To do so would be an abdication of community leadership and take us back to the days of often not following the hard route for short-term gain.

On major decisions such as the active travel proposals of earlier this year we listened and we decided not to proceed.

On the need to continue to protect the most vulnerable we listened and significantly increased the council’s budget year-on-year.

On bringing back an affordable residents parking discount scheme we listened and are bringing it back.

On seeking to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour we listened and have adopted a zero-tolerance approach.

We have had to take difficult decisions which have often been at variance with popular opinion.

That is one of the challenges of being in administration.

However, it is interesting to note whether others put forward tangible, credible, alternatives.

Sadly, as has often been the case of late, those credible alternatives have not been for thcoming.

On transparency we proactively brought in CIPFA to review our finances and broader culture.

This resulted in some difficult, yet necessary, decisions and admissions.

At no stage did we seek to brush the issue under the carpet.

In my response I was quite clear that we had experienced a cultural failure of epic propor tions.

At cabinet this week we will be debating, openly, the final concluding report of that work and how we have addressed all the issues raised.

It is fair to say that the council has never been more transparent.

For the second year in a row we have launched an extensive budget consultation, which is unprecedented in the Royal Borough’s recent history.

Most topics that would have been discussed behind closed doors are now in the greater part discussed and debated in public.

Of course, this is not to suggest that we cannot, or will not, strive to do better.

Like every organisation there is room for improvement, which is why we will shortly be detailing a series of measures which will make our performance as a council even more open to public scrutiny.

The real challenge is others putting forward genuinely deliverable solutions and alternatives.

Sadly, for all of the often-personal negativity and attacks we are not seeing much of that at present, with last week’s article regrettably being a reflection of that.

Cllr ANDREW JOHNSON Leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor

and Maidenhead