Free meal for Southend councillors sparks outrage (From Echo)

"this should be subject to a charge" Yes Mr Holdcroft it should, & no, I do not think the charge should be covered by councillor's "expenses". The idea of free meals for Councillors & senior SBC employees is obscene to say the least.

Nigel Holdcroft you are not fit to run a bath never mind a Council. There is a consultation programme out now which may lead to closing Priory and Delaware House which is home to our most vulnerable this will be an attempt to save money. What are we all saving money for....Is it just to give freebies to the fat pigs at the council? Oh well the trough has been there for years.

Judging by the overweight size of some of the Councillor's they should jog in to the meetings and have a restricted dietary intake. Furthermorev whats wrong with the Tesco meal deal at £2.50 ar share a meal for two from M & S for £10.00. Yet another hideous waste of Council Tax Payers money

Unbelievable. They raised the price of meals on wheels for the elderly and vulnerable citing 'cuts' as the reason, now they stick their snouts in the trough and award themselves free meals?

One word:

Pigs.

I totally agree with all the above posts, this decision is absolutely disgusting and an insult to all council taxpayers, especially the elderly who are often forced to decide between food and warmth. Greed and self-interest. Shame on you!

Lefty Cyclist Type wrote:
Unbelievable. They raised the price of meals on wheels for the elderly and vulnerable citing 'cuts' as the reason, now they stick their snouts in the trough and award themselves free meals?

One word:

Pigs.

too right. i'm all for slash and burn but it has to be one rule.

"The meal will be used to gauge its popularity, and a decision will then be made as to whether to continue the practice for the rest of the political year"

Well, that's going to be a tough decision.

"So, did everyone enjoy their free dinner? Good, now let's all vote on if we think we should carry on getting free meals"

No one disputes the fact that people need to eat but why does the taxpayer have to pick up the bill? We have a canteen at my work and, like most people in the real world, I pay for anything I choose to eat from there.

Disgusting.. as I hope the food they eat will be !!

Disgusting.. as I hope the food they eat will be !!

No problem with councillors having a meal, just serve them the same food as the meals on wheels serves up a charge them 4.50, job done could even reduce the cost to the elderly as a result due to economies of scale.

From back in March:

http://www.echo-news
.co.uk/news/local_ne
ws/southend/9560940.
Nora_fights_price_ri
se_for_meals_on_whee
ls/

From the linked story:

"… supporting the Southend District Pensioner’s Campaign group in its protest against Southend Council plans to increase the price of the meals from £3 to £4.50 a day.

The rise, currently the subject of a consultation, will mean 300 people in Southend would have to pay the full cost of the meals, saving the council £168,000 a year.

It could mean those in need paying an extra £550 a year if the increase is agreed at a full council meeting on March 1."


Any councillor taking advantage of this disgusting TORY proposal should be thoroughly ashamed that it is being financed through taking food from the mouths of the elderly and vulnerable.

I find this utterly sickening and morally repugnant. I am not at all surprised to see this is a TORY proposal. Typical 'I'm alright Jack' greedy stuffing-their-faces at the trough TORY thinking.

Sorry I posted twice earlier,, we all appear to be in agreement that this is a disgusting abuse of our money.. but where can we complain to? seems they are all in it together. Id like a way that I could opt out of paying taxes, and only pay for what is deemed a good service, so i'd be saving a pretty bob or two !

tepluap wrote:
Sorry I posted twice earlier,, we all appear to be in agreement that this is a disgusting abuse of our money.. but where can we complain to? seems they are all in it together. Id like a way that I could opt out of paying taxes, and only pay for what is deemed a good service, so i'd be saving a pretty bob or two !

Email your local councillor politely expressing your disgust at this proposal. List of contacts here, just click your local councillor's name and their contact details will be shown:

http://apps.southend
.gov.uk/democracy/co
uncillors.asp?displa
y=all

2 course meal? Why wouldn't a plate of sandwiches between them do?

This is why they get paid "expenses", to pay for stuff like this. So on top of these expenses and free parking they now get free meals.
Absolutely appalling.

The 2 course meal should comprise of a sandwich as the main and a piece of fruit for dessert. No doubt these greedy b@st@rds can eat well at other times.

My local councillor has mailed me saying they will not be taking any free meals and stating they are as disgusted at this tory proposal as me.
It also appears this was not voted on, it was unilaterally decided by the council's Tories.

Lefty Cyclist Type wrote:
My local councillor has mailed me saying they will not be taking any free meals and stating they are as disgusted at this tory proposal as me.
It also appears this was not voted on, it was unilaterally decided by the council's Tories.

And your councillor's name is..?
Don't forget you have two other councillors, what do they say? What are the others doing.

Whilst I realise some posters to this site always want to make everything into a political issue, I would just like to make a direct quote from the article as published above:-

"Nigel Holdcroft, the Tory council leader, said he decided to reintroduce a meal before the meeting after discussions with the three other group leaders and the chief executive, Rob Tinlin."

This clearly shows that some form of concensus between all four groupings represented on the council, as well as senior council employees has been reached on this matter.

It also clearly states in the article that this free meal is for one time only, & that it is envisaged that if it were to become a permanent feature of council meetings, councillors should expect to pay.

For myself, as I have previously stated, I do not agree with councillors being given free meals, & believe that they should pay commercial rates for any such meals provided. However, I do have a fear that if they are expected to pay, we will find out that they have been able to claim the cost back as expenses, which is totally wrong in every way imaginable.

Bosniavet wrote:
Whilst I realise some posters to this site always want to make everything into a political issue, I would just like to make a direct quote from the article as published above:-

"Nigel Holdcroft, the Tory council leader, said he decided to reintroduce a meal before the meeting after discussions with the three other group leaders and the chief executive, Rob Tinlin."

This clearly shows that some form of concensus between all four groupings represented on the council, as well as senior council employees has been reached on this matter.

It also clearly states in the article that this free meal is for one time only, & that it is envisaged that if it were to become a permanent feature of council meetings, councillors should expect to pay.

For myself, as I have previously stated, I do not agree with councillors being given free meals, & believe that they should pay commercial rates for any such meals provided. However, I do have a fear that if they are expected to pay, we will find out that they have been able to claim the cost back as expenses, which is totally wrong in every way imaginable.

Actually the article states: "The meal will be used to gauge its popularity, and a decision will then be made as to whether to continue the practice for the rest of the political year – a total of five meetings."

So, not a 'one time only' thing at all.

"Tory chiefs argue the move lets councillors, who have to come straight from work to satisfy their hunger"
Please substitute the word "greed" in place of "hunger. Any other suggestions?

Presumably this will be declared by each lunching councillor as a benefit in kind?

Lefty Cyclist Type wrote:
Unbelievable. They raised the price of meals on wheels for the elderly and vulnerable citing 'cuts' as the reason, now they stick their snouts in the trough and award themselves free meals?

One word:

Pigs.

I have to state this is the first time I have ever agreed with you.

Whatever the rationale behind this idea it simply sends out the wrong message.

So the new name for the smoking room is free meals where concilors can converse before mettings , for the many who do not know the staff at the council have ahd a pay freeze for 4 years, so the money they need to save can now be spent on a bunch of really bad peforming people pretending to be concillors once again a council shambles, there must be something heavy going down as the pied piper is calling the rats to be present, before a meeting "that called baiting"

Outrageous.
No just having to put up with seeing the faces of Nigel Holdcroft, mr Tinlin (and David Amess) in the paper every time I open it, now they want to eat for free.
indecent.

'He said: “My own view is that some suitable catering should be on offer to members and officers, and, in particular, those who have no opportunity to return home because of the length and timing of the meetings.'

Maybe they need to live in the area then, and live with some of their ideas.

how big will the queue for seconds get?

The Cater Wood Creeper wrote:
how big will the queue for seconds get?

When will we be paying for new larger chairs or free gym membershio?

is there any truth in the rumour that Kevin 'who ate all the pies' Blake, the fat Burstead Counciller encumbent on Basildon Council as the member for sport and leisure (which just has to be an ironic posting given that he looks like the last person to voluntarily participate in any sport other than competitive eating) has asked for a transfer to Southend Council having heard that they're giving out free grub to Councillers?

Elasticated waistbands and seconds on pud all round!

The Cater Wood Creeper wrote:
is there any truth in the rumour that Kevin 'who ate all the pies' Blake, the fat Burstead Counciller encumbent on Basildon Council as the member for sport and leisure (which just has to be an ironic posting given that he looks like the last person to voluntarily participate in any sport other than competitive eating) has asked for a transfer to Southend Council having heard that they're giving out free grub to Councillers?

Elasticated waistbands and seconds on pud all round!

I have it straight from the horse's mouth that Kevin will not be making any such application. Not only would he risk his seat but he would lose his local Lake Meadows 'pleasure' venue to boot.

I tried to persuade him that SBC now have a number of Green Flag rated parks in which he could be pleasured but he would have none of it.

(Sorry, people of Billericay, you'll have to wait for the next election!)

Why don,t they change the times of the meeting, so they go home eat and then attend the meeting. It might also help if some talked less so they wouldn't need to stay so long.

Why can't they take a packed lunch to work, like most people have to these days. Somehow the story brought to mind a book I read many years ago - it was called Animal Farm

psorias wrote:
Why can't they take a packed lunch to work, like most people have to these days. Somehow the story brought to mind a book I read many years ago - it was called Animal Farm

Indeed:

http://bit.ly/NfMHHO

DCC will be meeting today to vote through a rather disgusting planning application, which IMHO, they have used every possible technicality and little known 'rule' to dupe the public into believing that they are getting a museum.

We're not getting a museum, we're getting a car park and a 200 seat restaurant with sea views.

I have requested an opportunity to speak today at DCC and I have been told that, according to their rules, speakers are only allowed three minutes to speak. Perhaps if the Committee of Councillors stopped stuffing their faces, on my shilling, for five minutes the voice of at least one member of the public would be heard.

This is a disgrace, but there are so many disgraceful things going on in this Council it is hard to decide what to pick first to complain about; and that is why there is such a low turn out at election time, who can really be bothered in the face of this type of power and greed.

Starts with a ham sandwich, ends up with a car park buried into the cliffs.

That's great .
now thay will not going to meetings without a good meal inside.more coucils should do this take note
BASILDON !!!

Maybe, instead of Councillors having the meals they should the them to the Residents at Delaware House, Priory House or Saxon Lodge as a treat or the recipiants of Meals on Wheels for just one day, there's no chance of that from the proverbial " Fat Cats "