newsjunction.co.uk

In the spirit of nothing much news worthy happening on weekends I have decided to start a new Sunday’s feature - Numpty of the Week.

Numpty is one of fastest growing in popularity words in Britain, a handy and harmless expression for idiot. It’s apparently Scotland’s favourite word, and given it’s rapid spread - I only first heard it 5/6 years ago and now it’s everywhere - it may soon be Britain’s.

Given it’s Scottish roots - although one website claims it originates in Reading around 1996 and I first heard it off a man from Portland - it is perhaps fitting that NewsJunction’s very first NOTW is Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow Council.

At a time of strain on government finances, rising unemployment, wage cuts, part-time working and people struggling to pay their council tax bills, Mr Purcell has lumped extra burden on the taxpayers of Glasgow - in a £7 minimum wage plan.

Workers at Scotland’s biggest local authority will be paid a new minimum wage of £7 an hour. Glasgow City Council has an annual budget of £2.4 billion and employs some 36,000 staff. He issued a challenge to other employers to do the same. Glasgow City Council contractors would be strongly encouraged to implement the rate.

Now whilst I obviously support people earning a good salary, councils have the duty to get the best deals available for taxpayers - which include a great many low income individuals om both real and state sectors, and indeed those such as pensioners with no income - and such expensive grandstanding as this is a wholly ineffective means of improving living standards. It is also inflationary, and a drain on resources better spent on schools, urban regeneration etc.

So congratulations Steven Purcell, Numpty of the Week.