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We not only have to actually manage the challenges, but be seen as showing the positivity and conviction that we can do so. As all chief executives know, we are always on show, and the only thing which seems to travel faster than the speed of light are the rumour mills which swirl around our offices. I might arrive at the office in a pensive mood, and by the time I get to my desk, the whole building is wondering what bad news I am about to share with them. Abdool Kara is chief executive at Swale Borough Council. This is not about the settlement per se – governments have the democratic right to make these decisions, and our role is to deal with them. Yes, it could have arrived earlier, let alone the further announcements which are due ‘some time' in January, for example, the New Homes Bonus and allocations from the HCA. But, no doubt, we will simply deal with the practical and governance issues that such delays bring. What I find less hard to accept is the – at best – thoughtless, and often factless comments that we see dropped into conversations – about poor services, ‘fat cat' salaries and pensions, and so on. If I believed in conspiracy theories, I might think it was a co-ordinated attack on the sector. But surely not? A new one is the use of the phrase ‘wealth creating', as if only the private sector can do this. But, just think about this for a moment. What about our support to create the right conditions for economic development and regeneration, much of which would not otherwise happen? What about enabling people to achieve gainful employment, be that the looked-after child with good educational outcomes, the habitual criminal who is supported into a different way of life, or the homeless person who has been helped to secure a home. And let us not forget that not all wealth creation is, in any case, desirable – that's why we have regulatory powers for trading standards, environmental health, and the rest. So, the next time you hear someone carelessly dismiss the public sector as ‘not wealth creating', do take a moment to set them straight, because otherwise, those conspiracy theories might gather more momentum.

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WHITEHALL

Plugged In

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