Unlike the recent televised debates between the three main party leaders, we must be prepared to talk about the elephant in the room.
Although this elephant may be vast and could threaten to crush our carefully crafted plans, the more we converse about the elephant, the more we become acquainted with the elephant, the less frightened we will be.
The German author, Emil Ludwig, once wrote, ‘Debate is the death of conversation'. One feels that the country is crying out for more conversation and less debate. As we face the toughest public sector climate for more than 30 years, we need clarity of thought, clarity of purpose and clarity of action.
The time for debate is over. The time for a serious, honest and frank conversation is now. Our organisations must recognise the elephant and we must lead and create movement within our organisations, or we will be trampled.
So, let's begin that serious conversation and devise the necessary financial strategy. Health and education are going to be shielded, resulting in local government taking on the full charge of the grey beast, planning on 6.4% real cash reductions year-on-year, based on the forecast provided by the Institute For Fiscal Studies.
There is the likelihood that an additional in-year cut will be required, despite the potential of a legal challenge, and I would suggest you work on plans of 2.5% to 3% loss of central government funding, and focus on the area-based grant support in the first instance, as this is the most likely area to be targeted.
