Stockport Labour Group has warned of the terrible impact yet more cuts to Stockport Council’s funding will have on vital services after the Lib Dem controlled Council published its budget proposals for 2014/15. Swingeing cuts to the Council’s funding by the Lib Dem and Tory Government means that the Council must cut approximately £100million from its budget between 2011 and 2016/17.
The Lib Dem Budget for 2014-15, which will be debated by the Council Meeting on 27th February 2014, is the second part of a £30million cuts programme that is being delivered between April 2013 and March 2015. The cuts announced last year, which will see further reductions in services’ budgets in 2014/15, include; cuts to the Contact Centre, reductions in library opening times, cuts to parks, cuts to services for young people, cuts to the Family Information Service and over 300 job losses.
Cllr Alex Ganotis, Labour Group Spokesperson for Finance, said: “What we continue to see with thisBudget is an assault on services. The cuts are hurting young people and the vulnerable the most. The Lib Dem and Tory Government’s continued year-on-year cuts to funding mean that providing the services that Stockport needs is becoming increasingly difficult.
“We warned last year that several of the ‘savings proposals’ that the Executive made were unfair, high risk and vague. Unfortunately, our warnings have been proved correct in a number of areas and certain savings haven’t been achieved. Losing over 300 dedicated members of staff because of the budget cuts, bringing total job losses to 1,100 since 2011, will undoubtedly have a major impact on the Council’s ability to deliver services in the future.
“The continued ‘salami-slicing’ of services by the Lib Dem Executive is unsustainable with over £40million of cuts still to be made by March 2017. It is clear that the Lib Dems have run out of ideas and cannot deliver the fundamental changes we need to make sure the Council not only survives, but that it delivers for the people of Stockport.”
Click here to view the Council Executive’s Budget proposals.