The Government punishes good behaviour

Today’s report from the Healthcare Commission is quite damning; 25% of trusts are failing to meet standards for infection control. Link this with the report on Maidstone and Tunbridge NHS Trust which highlighted that Central Government targets were a factor in the appalling c-deficile infections and deaths. The NHS has failed to deliver on Government promises on access to dentistry and many trusts continue to overspend. Alastair Darling rewarded the failing NHS with a 4% increase in funding.

Local Authorities are not perfect, but they are the only area of the Public Sector that has delivered on the Government’s efficiency agenda and, overall, have shown huge improvements, despite being massively hampered by the Government’s target-setting agenda which has severely limited the ability to deliver to a local agenda. Alastair Darling gave Local Government a 1% increase in funding.

We need to recognise the impact of this. The limits on what Local Authorities can deliver in many areas of Education and Adult Social Care have knock-on effects on the rest of the Public Sector and guarantee additional burdens in future years.

There can be only one reason for Alastair Darling’s decision, and that is because local Government can raise additional taxes. Local Government are, once gain, being asked to do Government’s dirty work and raise Council Tax above inflation.