The long awaited CFGS report reveals more bad news for Birmingham Labour

The report created by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny was finally released for public consumption today and it makes for grim reading once again for Birmingham Labour.

Commenting on it, Cllr Roger Harmer said:

“This report is further evidence of the calamitous mess that Birmingham Labour have overseen, for years, at this council. I despair of the damage that they have done here, and residents are utterly sick of hearing about it.

“We are still waiting for details of the services that will be cut to emerge.

The CFGS report highlights how deeply ingrained the cultural issues have become under Birmingham Labour’s 12-year rule of the city. This quote from the report summed it up accurately:

“This judgement reflects Birmingham’s success – and failure – in “managing” external oversight in recent years, by being able to successfully undertake action that looks very like change and transformation without that activity having any meaningful impact on the way that the organisation functions.”

“I’m staggered at how long it is taking for them to get themselves organised, and those of us in opposition see this all the time.

“The report also highlights major problems with scrutiny. I remain concerned that all of the scrutiny chairs are Labour councillors and have in effect been setting and marking their own homework for years.

“The people of Birmingham are already suffering from interest rate hikes and inflation caused by a disastrous Tory budget, and locally, the failure of Birmingham Labour’s administration will cause further pain to residents for years to come.”