Bath is set to feel the pain of cuts in government spending. With the city heavily dependent on public sector employment, it has 3,000 Ministry of Defence workers fearing they will all lose their jobs if the MoD withdraws from the city and relocates to Bristol. B&NES Council is expecting to shed 300 jobs over the next three years. Much of this might not have been necessary if the previous government had not been so extravagant with our money.
Fortunately, it had the good sense not to pour £68 million into plans to overhaul the campus of the City of Bath College. Instead, the current government is being asked to contribute £225,000 to a £5 million facelift for the College. And what exactly will taxpayers get for this contribution? Apparently, ‘a reception area, new hair and beauty salons, a dedicated higher education centre and a shop selling a range of products including drinks, snacks, stationery and computer software’. Hmmm, does the College really need any of this? Surely the local community already provides these services? Save the five million quid and spend it on something really educational.
Incidentally, great to see that even veteran left-wing film director Ken Loach is getting into the TPA spirit. This resident of Bath expressed his delight at hearing of job losses among BBC middle managers. “I’m pleased to see,’ he said ‘that [BBC] people are going to lose their jobs, albeit they need a £1 million handshake to get out the door. Great, good riddance, maybe a few more will join them. But let’s start cutting further down”. Gulp! With advocates like this, is our job done?
Tim Newark: Bath TaxPayers’ Alliance