Writing on his blog, David Clifford writes that the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor is a well run council!

 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/2008/10/london-south-bank-university.html

A well run council is not an expression commonly heard on the street. Many expressions are used to describe this council, 'well run' is not one of them.

This is a council that has recently lost lost two million pounds of taxpayers' money in the Icelandic banking crisis.

 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/2008/10/rushmoors-finance-directors-letter-to.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/410684.html?c=on

Asked last week of the missing millions, a councillor, a cabinet member no less, responded, and I quote

'I'm not bothered.'

Drawn to his attention that chief executive Andrew Lloyd had blatantly lied when he claimed Icelandic bank Glitnir was A-rated and that finance director Peter Gardner had misled when he claimed they were closely monitoring the financial situation and he and his team were not aware of the situation in Iceland, the councillor responded with the following lame response and again I quote

'I can only listen to what my officials tell me.'

This is what constitutes good governance in Rushmoor.

 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/2008/10/learning-how-to-govern.html

The situation in Iceland had been known for months, some advisers were warning of the situation at least two years ago.

Homeless are denied housing by the council. The council denies there is a problem of homelessness in the borough.

We have slum estates in the borough, slum estates on which criminals act with impunity. The council denies there is a problem and claims the estates are well run.

In North Town area of Aldershot it must be bad as the local councillors are off their backsides and making a fuss. Not actually doing anything useful mind, just making a lot of noise.

The street parking in the North Camp area of Farnborough is unlawful, and probably elsewhere in the borough. The council knows it is unlawful, knows it is causing problems for local residents and traders, but continues to take money on the back of an unlawful scheme.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404310.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404836.html

Farnborough town centre has been destroyed, tenants in social housing at Firgrove Court driven out of their homes. Those kicked out of their homes at Firgrove Court are still fighting to receive compensation. Jean Jean, a family business of thirty years, will close its doors for the last time in the New Year. All the other long established family businesses have long gone. Since the summer, three retailers have gone into administration. The one remaining shoe shop will shortly be closing down. One of the charity shops whose lease is due for renewal in November will in all likelihood pull out unless they get a substantial reduction in rent as the shop is failing to meet its targets.

Both Farnborough and Aldershot have all the indicators of failing town centres, card shops, charity shops, junk food shops, boarded up shops, yobs hanging about.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/ald-shot.htm
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/farnboro.htm

Aldershot town centre is all but dead. Even the charity shops are pulling out. The retail development being pushed by the council, next to the edge-of-town Tesco superstore, will kill what little is left of the town centre stone dead.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401983.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/402249.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/405354.html

The only good news coming out of Farnborough is that The Developer from Hell, as St Modwen is known across the country, is heading towards bankruptcy.

 http://fighttheheight.blogspot.com/2008/10/st-modwen-swallow-credit-crunch.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411503.html

Last year, several thousand households had their lives made a misery for 6-months when they were forced onto fortnightly waste collection. Now, as a punishment, households are to be issued with half-size wheelie bins at a cost to the local taxpayer of at least three-quarters of a million pounds. None of which has anything to do with waste reduction or recycling, but will lead to a lot of fly tipping.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/406432.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/407973.html
 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/2008/06/rushmoors-waste-management-panels.html
 http://cllrclifford.blogspot.com/2008/08/statement-to-sunday-telegraph.html

A quick straw poll in Asda: does this council do anything useful, is it well run? The answer was a resounding no.

To be fair to David Clifford, he works hard as a local councillor, he sticks his neck above the parapet for his constituents, to better understand his role as a local councillor he has been studying Public Administration at London South Bank University. All of which is more than any of his fellow councillors do, who seem to think a councillor is to stick your snout in the trough and rubber stamp whatever council officials put before you, and contrary to what David Clifford says, in the main are not first rate officers. First rate liars maybe.