FINANCE

Don't throw out the rule book with the bath water

Like all complainants, the Local Government Ombudsman is both a nuisance and an asset, but his latest message is clear, says Michael Burton: Don't lose the focus on the frontline.

Hot on the heels of warnings about councils buckling under financial pressures, comes a complaint from the Local Government Ombudsman, that bane of jobsworthies.

Budget cuts, staff shortages and change upheavals are making services less responsive as corners are cut while the rule book is in danger of being ‘thrown out.'

Michael Burton

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