Monday 23 November 2009

A welcome change of heart from the Lib Dems

Not sure whether you can call this a U-turn from the Lib Dems, or just a meandering squiggling not-quite-sure-where-they're-going, but it's welcome news anyway, the announcement that they won't be closing the customer service points, and particularly the one in Fishponds, which my constituents were very unhappy about.

I'm all in favour of modernising service delivery but it should be done with the primary purpose of improving service delivery, not just as an excuse to save money. And yes, many more people these days do choose to use the internet or the phone to access council services, but not everyone can, or wants to, and it's their council tax money too. There might come a time when such centres no longer serve a purpose, but that time hasn't come yet.

This is of course yet another example of a Lib Dem administration in Bristol floating a controversial idea and then dropping it as soon as it proves unpopular. Some might say this is a sign they're listening to the public. Others might say it shows a lack of nerve or any strategic sense of direction. In this case, however, I'm just happy they've made the right decision, even if it took them a long time to get there.

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