Eric
Pickles’ department has been fined for having an unauthorised bank overdraft,
it has emerged.
Just two days ago, he was praised by
Chancellor George Osborne as “a model of lean government”.
The Department for Communities and
Local Government ended the financial year £217m overdrawn and was fined £20,000
by the Treasury.
Margaret Hodge, chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee, said it was "a shocking example of
incompetence".
Hodge is right this is incredibly incompetent,
but I would also question the decision of the treasury to issue a fine, if a
department is this majorly overdrawn, particularly during a week where the
chancellor announced £11.5bn of cuts, how is a fine the way to go.
Surely the thing to do would be to
remove the minister responsible and have him replaced by someone who can manage
the department finances properly.
I bet this will anger many, but
none more than the local council leaders who have been continually lectured by
Pickles to get their finances in order, if he keeps his job, which he probably will,
when he next opens his mouth to preach about money managing I suspect very few
will bother to listen.
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