The law of unintended consequences

National news full of debates about how many public sector jobs they are going to cut. Tories promise no compulsory redundancies, just not filling vacant posts.

Let us apply the law of unintended consequences to this carefully worded position...

Sorry that your teacher has just retired but we can't appoint a new one, don't worry about your GCSEs...
You want a lollipop lady to help your kids to go to school? Sorry, vacancy freeze
You're complaining that your bins are only being emptied every other week? Try once a month 'cos we're not allowed to recruit any new binmen.

It's fairly simple maths - the amount of work to be done doesn't go down (in fact in some areas demand for services is increasing - aging population, child protection, potholes, bins to be emptied, all that stuff that only hits the headlines when it goes wrong) so fewer people to do it means it either takes longer to get done or it doesn't happen at all.

Locally, Labour have not sorted out their candidate. The local press says that City Council leader Jon Collins wants it but is having trouble because of the lack of support from the unions...the law of unintended consequences strikes again!

Being the Leader of a council that has recently attacked council workers by imposing worse terms and conditions and cutting jobs is not the way to win friends and influence people...especially people who have a say in the selection of candidates.

And still only the Tory boy's leaflet through the door.