Local Government Services

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:03 pm on 16 April 1993.

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Photo of Sir David Amess Sir David Amess , Basildon 1:03, 16 April 1993

I would not wish to intrude on private grief in Itchen. However, I know Christopher Chope extremely well and I should be very surprised if he behaved in an ungallant way towards the person who defeated him in the general election.

I am delighted that this week in Basildon we have unveiled new signs. They signal a new era—a partnership in local government between the private and public sectors. The signs say "Welcome to Basildon" and they have been placed on the Al27 and the A13. Above them is the new council logo, which incorporates the districts of Laindon, Wickford, Billericay and Basildon.

Unlike the awful former socialist council,. we welcome the private sector in Basildon. That is why yesterday, in the House, we launched the "buy competitive British goods from Basildon campaign". Basildon district council and Conservative-controlled Essex county council will together encourage business men and women to invest in the area, so that goods and services may be traded together in partnership.

The only employment that Basildon socialists understood was district council employment. That is what they thought jobs were all about. The former socialist Basildon district council employed 1,200 people—not to give advice on housing or to ensure that pavements were level so that elderly ladies did not trip over or that lamp posts were properly lit, but to guarantee that socialist propaganda was put out every day, every week and every month.

The socialists' message was crude—"Aren't the Conservatives awful? They are to blame for everything. Aren't the socialists marvellous?" On I I May last year, the socialists had their answer. That is why an historic and wonderful change occurred.

Of course the past year has been difficult. My hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant) mentioned the traditional position in respect of local government officers. I know only too well from my days as a Redbridge councillor how professional were that council's officers. I was horrified when it came to my attention that the former socialist Basildon district council would on occasion appoint only officers who pledged themselves to supporting their fellow brothers and sisters. Those people spent all their time, while being paid by myself and other rates and community charge payers, putting out their vile and vicious propaganda.

When the Conservatives took over on 11 May last year, obscene telephone calls were made to Conservative councillors, which was an absolute disgrace. Somehow, my own private telephone number was given out to some lady council officers. The telephone would ring at 10 pm, 11 pm, I am or 3 am. My wife and small children were not greatly amused by those telephone calls from people—who seemed to have had a little too much to drink—arguing about the awful Conservative council and the fact that they might lose their jobs.

Officers who said publicly beforehand that they would never again work under a Conservative-controlled council or a Conservative Government should behave honourably, examine their consciences, and decide whether they are right to remain local authority employees.

I pay tribute to the wonderful job that the Conservative council is doing in very difficult circumstances. Typical of the misreporting that has occurred is the case of the Town Gate theatre. That project's builders took it to 13 other local authorities, which all said no. In this day and age, who would think that a council could somehow find the money to build a huge theatre? As we all know, a theatre is used not just by local residents but is a regional facility.

There was no money to sustain the theatre—it was all borrowed. The interest charges to service the debt amount to £1·5 million a year. However, I am delighted to tell my hon. Friends the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, who have both been to Basildon, that the council is now in serious negotiations with an interested party and hopes to make an announcement about the theatre.

Huge amounts of money were borrowed to meet the costs of sports and leisure facilities. Such projects would have been better realised in partnership with the private sector.

It has been misreported that there have been local authority by-elections in Basildon that the Conservative party has lost. That is untrue. There was one by-election two weeks ago, when a socialist councillor resigned, left the country and ended up in New Zealand. It is true that the socialists retained their seats, but what did not receive publicity was the fact that the Conservatives moved up from third to second place.

On the same day as the county council elections, there is a district council by-election, caused not by a Conservative throwing in the towel, but by another socialist doing so because, believe it or not, he says that he is too busy working for a housing association—although we all know that socialists are supposed to oppose housing associations. Not one Conservative councillor has thrown in the towel, but two socialist councillors have already done so.

I pay tribute to the work that the new Conservative council is now doing. The leader of the council has announced that from now all services will be tested in the market because we owe it to people to provide high quality services at a competitive price. As a result, in years to come, when people outside the House report on political matters, I trust that they will be able to state that the new Conservative-controlled Basildon district council has led the country in a successful and beneficial partnership between the public and private sectors.