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Croissants off politicians’ menu
as crunch begins to bite
TIMES are hard at Westminster City Hall.
Councillors who sit on the licensing sub-committee, famed in council corridors for its culinary excellence, will have to pore over the vagaries of the borough’s pubs, clubs and restaurants on empty bellies.
Or at least, they will have to make do with a bag of Golden Wonder and a Peperami like the rest of us, after management scrapped croissants and fruit from the meetings.
Who would have thought the continental breakfast would be the first casualty of the council’s £17million haemorrhage in the Icelandic bank crash last month?
The news was broken to committee members last week, although there is a crumb of consolation.
If they are unfortunate enough still to be in the chamber at lunch- time, assurances have been made that sandwiches will be available.
Finance chiefs apologised for the scaling down of refreshment facilities, saying the council must be more penny-wise as the recession starts to bite. Councillor Melvyn Caplan, cabinet member for finance said: “In the current economic climate the council is looking to justify all aspects of its expenditure. While this is just one small area it is part of a greater drive towards efficiency across the whole council.”
Opposition leader, Labour’s Paul Dimoldenberg is more worried by the development.
He said: “Having gambled £17million on now-failed Icelandic banks, it’s no surprise that the Tories are tightening their belts. The big worry is what is next for the chop after the croissants and fruit?” |
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