Tonight was the Budget meeting at Wokingham Borough Council.   I will post about that tomorrow.  For tonight, let me post about the other main agenda item – the new Council Vision.   There is a copy of it in the agenda papers for the Council meeting, if you really want to see it.  You can find the agenda here:   http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/minutes-agendas/minutes/?entryid164=202947 

The vision apparently cost £90,000.  As one of my Lib Dem colleaques said:  if this is what they got for their £90,000, that’s value for money fallen by the wayside.

I’m afraid I wasn’t terribly polite either.  This is what I said:  

“David and his Conservative colleagues don’t seem to like being criticised.  Well, brace yourselves, there’s more coming.  What to say about the new Vision?  Where to start? 

Well, how about with something positive – we agree that there ought to be one.   After that, I am afraid it is downhill all the way. 

When the work on the Vision started, a small group of Lib Dems had a meeting with the consultant.  We put our views to him.  The next time we saw or heard anything was when the vision came out.   And I am afraid we did not greet it with the same level of enthusiasm as the Conservatives. 

I am sure there must be more to it than the two sheets of paper in the agenda, but two sheets of paper is all we have to go by.  So I have compared them to the Vision the Council had before.  

What was “Our Vision” has turned into a shorter strapline.  Unfortunately the bit you have cut is the bit where you said you wanted residents to feel valued.  The downgrading of residents is only emphasised by the fact that the strapline now suggests you think making the Borough a great place for business is more important than it being a great place to live. 

There are still far too many Priorities.  Or is that “Underpinning Principles”?  Even so, some things are not deemed sufficiently important to be included any longer.  

What’s been ditched?  In broad terms,  the voluntary sector, partnership working, civic pride, work/life balance, and opportunities for all.   

What’s been added?  Support for business growth.    And a rather telling sentence that starts “invest in prevention services that increase or maintain independence” – so far so good – but then goes on to read “ending the dependency culture and helping those who become dependent on our support to become self sufficient and self reliant”.  That basically reads as “shove off if you need help, you’re on your own.”     

To me what this Vision does is convey the message that since the last time the Council produced a Vision the Conservatives in Wokingham have become more callous, care less about residents and the community and have become mainly interested in making lots of money.  

Not, I imagine, what you set out to achieve. 

I don’t like this Vision.  Too many words, too little focus on residents and the community.  And too little heart. 

I will not be voting for it.”

And I didn’t.  Which strangely, appeared to make the Conservatives rather cross.   But it’s their Vision.  Not ours. 

And in case you are wondering what the Lib Dem version of the vision would be like,  we think itshould be should be based on protecting vulnerable people, offering value for money, being open, being fair and working with and providing leadership to the community.   Everything else follows from those principles.

 But what do YOU think?

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