Bury Conservatives conceded defeat again this week in their latest attempt at “cut first consult later”. They agreed not to cut the Councils Youth Services and instead merge it with the connexions service which provides help and support for 13-19 year olds.

OK admittedly not so much defeat as an ignominious retreat, but leaving many unswered questions that could still adversely affect the service.

For those not in the know at the last Council budget the Conservatives voted through a massive cut in finances for the service, then agreed that the issue should be consulted on following protests.

Then recently the Council scrutinised the decision and options and decided that keeping the service was the best option, leaving something like a £200,000 hole in the Council budget hence the merger proposal. Not so much a U-turn as a handbrake spin.

But this isn’t the first time this has happened. Three times this year the Conservatives have made decisions first and wondered about the implications later.

Also in last years budget was the not so clever idea to turn off every other street light in the borough. Not for environmental reasons you understand, but for financial savings. When all and sundry pointed out the threat to public safety etc they hastily withdrew that idea.

Most recently they has decided that the Local Area Partnerships are having there own way too much – and actually doing things that local people want in their patch. So the Conservatives have decided to draw control back in on that too and it’s likely that more control will be attempted from the Town Hall in future. But this is work in progress – we’ll have to see what further ideas come to the fore.

However, there is clearly a pattern emerging and amidst the central control and the cuts we are seeing ordinary people and local communities being affected.

Bad decision making, short term decision making, Poor leadership. It’s a recipe for disaster.