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A well fought battle - but be vigilant
IN this age of doom and gloom a bright light shone yesterday (Wednesday) when the residents of a sheltered-bedsit block for the elderly in Primrose Hill won a battle to save their homes (See page 2).
While the expression ‘people power’ is often over-used, the residents who conducted a long, attritional campaign against their landlords – petitioning in the streets week after week – are entitled to congratulate themselves on a battle well fought.
Whether the battle was winnable or not, this newspaper long ago decided to support the residents on the very simple grounds that an injustice was being done to them.
Lessons can be learned from this campaign. Confronted by hard-faced bureaucracy too many protesters turn inwards, drawn to a tactic that it is better to keep matters private.
This sort of incestuous approach to dissent rarely succeeds.
The more a row is made public the better. As the Carole House campaigners can now testify.
However, a word of warning. While the Central and Cecil Housing Trust has formally withdrawn their redevelopment plans, it may well turn out as time passes that something similar may be resurrected. Vigilance is required of the campaigners.
What a waste
BILLIONS of pounds are being wasted every year on consultants – employed either by central government, hospitals or local authorities.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has been very critical of the over-use of consultants by health authorities, regional or national (See Forum on page 21).
Here in Camden the disease began to take hold of the council in the early 1990s.
Far too often, officials, who are paid to do particular jobs, found it essential to outsource that very same responsibility to consultants.
Thus, a kind of inflationary set of costings became a part every year of the council’s budget. No one seemed to seriously question it – neither officials nor elected councillors.
It may have been expected that things would change under New Labour. But, on the contrary, the disease got a greater hold.
Time after time we highlighted this disease but to no avail. Each time we were met with denials or rhetoric. And over the years nothing changed. Except one thing: The rising costs of consultants.
There is still time for the new Lib Dem-Tory coalition to demonstrate they are of a different breed. Just about. |
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