Douglas Carswell's Blog

Open government: Tendring Council leads the way

How does your local council spend taxpayers’ money? 

Until recently, local residents had no proper way of scrutinising what the town hall did with the money. The council budget might have been debated from time-to-time, but it was left to remote officials in Whitehall to assess how well the council used your tax pounds.

The internet helps change all that. Just as crime maps for our area allow local people to gauge the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in tackling crime, the internet gives us the tools to examine the council’s accounts for ourselves.

Rather than resist transparency – like so many Whitehall departments still do – Tendring council has embraced openness.  Instead of only listing items of expenditure over £500 as required to, the council has gone further by listing almost everything.  Have a look at the webpage here.

I believe that this innovative step will have a number of positive consequences. First of all, it will make those who spend public money more careful before spending it – meaning better value for money.  At a time when local families are feeling the pinch, that is especially welcome. 

Secondly, it will allow local people to see for themselves what the cost pressures are on the council. That in turn will ensure a more sensible, balanced debate about what the local priorities for the town hall ought to be.

If you live in Tendring, why not book mark the page here so that you can monitor where your money goes?  

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