Archive for June, 2008
Injecting Democracy: Local Government Chronicle
Making the NHS locally accountable
by Paul Gosling
Councils’ health overview and scrutiny committees were supposed to act as a system of local NHS accountability and improve co-ordination between local NHS bodies and council services. But a series of just published reports casts doubt on whether this working effectively.
A Health Commission formed by the Local Government Association [...]
Questions of Cash: When banks fail you: The Independent
Questions of cash: When customer care is not up to scratch
by Paul Gosling
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Q. I bought a car in March for £20,000, and the dealer suggested I pay using my debit card. I phoned my bank, Alliance & Leicester, warning it of the transaction. I had to answer a lengthy set of questions [...]
In breach of trust?: Co-operative News
The Paul Gosling Column
The conversion of NHS trusts into largely autonomous foundations trusts (FTs) has split the co-operative movement. On the one hand, prominent co-op figures – notably Co-op Party sponsored MP, David Taylor – have bitterly opposed the creation of FTs as a move towards privatisation. On the other, the Co-operative Party and the Mutuo [...]
Improvement needs strong financial management: Local Government Chronicle
Council improvement rests on strong financial management
by Paul Gosling
Moving from crisis management to strategic management can be worth a lot – going from being in the highest 2% to the lowest 20% of council tax charges in the case of St Helens MBC.
For years members and senior officers believed that St Helens council provided good [...]
Everyone profits: Local Government Chronicle
Everyone Profits
When Phil Hope – the minister for the third sector – addresses Thursday’s ‘LA Connecting London 2008′ conference on social enterprise and local government, he can expect an optimistic audience. There is a feeling both within local government and inside the social enterprise sector that there is about to be a major expansion in [...]
Questions Of Cash: IT chaos causes misery for NU customers: The Independent
Questions Of Cash: IT chaos causes misery for NU customers
By Paul Gosling
Saturday, 21 June 2008
Q. I have a similar problem with Norwich Union to that of RS (Questions of Cash, 31 May). My policy matured on 1 May, yet despite all documentation being on time, I heard nothing from NU. I phoned NU on 10 [...]
A journey into Derry’s future: Derry Journal
A Personal View
by Paul Gosling
It is 2020 and we are taking a walk around Ireland’s most fabulous heritage city – Derry. What do we see?
The Walled City is, of course, what has made Derry a top tourism destination for visitors from across Europe, America and Asia. They walk around the traffic-free city, and on the [...]
River deep: Derry Journal
River deep
by Paul Gosling
Visionary or short-sighted? McCormick Properties’ plans for developing over the city’s main artery, the Foyle, have divided people. Yes, we need jobs and investment – but do we need this investment at this location?
It is a question that will determine how Derry will evolve over the next few years. If we get [...]
Fishing way of life under threat: Co-operative News
The Paul Gosling Column
The Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society needs half a million pounds to survive. What makes this co-op distinctive is that it is the last eel fishery in Europe. Most of its production goes to the Netherlands.
The co-op is in a crisis. The problem is that the young eels – called elvers – [...]
The end of a mining industry: Co-operative News
The Paul Gosling column
The miners’ strike of 1984 was one of those politically defining moments – except it was not a moment. It was a year of hard graft for striking miners, their wives and families. It was also a time when those families and the thousands of people who actively supported them learnt a [...]
