Stockport Labour Group condemned the uncertainly faced by local residents after unsustainable cuts were imposed on frontline public services in Stockport by the Tory Government from April.

The Lib Dem Executive’s Budget, which passed at a Council Meeting on Thursday 3rd March, will reduce everyday spending by £18.6 million in 2016-17, as well as increasing Council Tax by 3.75%, after the Government slashed central support provided to Stockport in February.

Labour Group Leader Councillor Alex Ganotis said ‘The cuts which the Tories are imposing on Stockport are on a scale which is difficult to comprehend. By 2020 it is no exaggeration to say that Local Government as we know it won’t exist.

‘Councillors can’t pretend that by saving a bit here, by using a bit from the Council’s reserves, or doing things slightly differently the problems will go away. They won’t – the levels of cuts agreed on Thursday are truly unimaginable.

‘The black hole the Government has created across Council finances in Northern England is targeted, deliberate and unfair, and means that even basic services are under threat.’

The Government is effectively ending support provided to Stockport Council for local public services, with the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) projected to fall from £39 million in 2015-16 to only £3 million in 2019-20. RSG is being cut by 33% in the 2016-17 financial year alone.

To deal with this massive shortfall, a Lib Dem Budget passed on 3rd March which will cut £8 million from Adult Social Care, £3 million from Children and Family Services, £2.1 million from public realm including parks and greenspaces and £200,000 from libraries.

Councillor Ganotis added ‘The Liberal Democrat Executive are making things even worse by using £4.7 million of one-off reserves to delay cuts, kicking key decisions into the long grass for after local elections, so the reductions are going to be really unpalatable.

‘The uncertainty caused to residents by such a dramatic drop in local services is the reason Labour couldn’t support the Budget on Thursday, but we do recognise that the Council is being forced into this position and we should be transparent about that.

‘Labour stand ready to offer political leadership and new ideas which will mitigate some of the damage these proposals will cause. We are, and always will be, on the side of local people and committed to Stockport.’