Buck: Holding the government accountable

I look forward to continuing the many excellent working relationships developed over the years, meeting new challenges along the way and, no doubt, re-visiting some old ones, too.

Naturally, I was disappointed with the national result, despite the uphill struggle of fighting for a fourth term of office after a world wide economic recession which has hurt people badly, and will indeed continue to do so.

I know that, even if harsh decisions would have to have been made by a Labour government as the debts racked up during the crisis - when the private economy of the country was in danger of stalling completely - had to be cut back, we would have given top priority to protecting jobs and front line services.

Now, in opposition, it will be for MPs such as myself to serve the local interest to the best of my ability whilst holding the government to account for the choices they make.

'Waste' in public spending is a very easy target for opposition parties, yet it is remarkable how often, when it comes to specifics, that 'waste' actually means real people's jobs.

I am, for example, deeply concerned by the decision taken by Westminster Council to axe the City Guardian posts - thereby, at a stroke, undermining the battle to keep our streets safe and the local environment well managed.

I am concerned that Boris Johnson has not managed to find the savings he trumpeted so loudly without slashing more than 400 police officers over the lifetime of his mayoralty.

Both these decisions involve lost jobs and a reduced level of service in a critical area of policy.

On a larger scale, we will be scrutinising the tax and spending plans in the forthcoming budget very closely indeed.

A rise in VAT, for example, which is the Conservatives' tax of choice, will be particularly painful for those on low or fixed incomes, unless these are lifted to compensate.

Will it happen?

Will pensioners and families with children be given extra help?

And will the new government recognise the particular stresses facing Londoners, for whom costs are always higher?

The removal of tax credits and Child Trust Funds from so called 'middle earners' would hit Londoners especially hard, for example, because wages tend to be higher, even though costs (such as child care) are higher still, relatively.

Can we also be sure that measures to reduce the national debt, however important, are not taken so early and applied with such brutality that they trigger a return to recession and a further spiral in unemployment, especially amongst young people?

As always, the question is less: 'How much must be paid? and more 'Who pays?.

The economic crisis did not come about because the Labour government spent too much on Winter Fuel Allowances and Children's Centres.

It came about because of a failure world wide to control greed and excessive risk taking in the financial industry.

We must have banks and we want financial services to return to health, but those with the broadest shoulders must bear the heaviest burden for those errors and we will be looking to the new government to demonstrate that it understands that fact.