David Cameron and his ‘cronies’ should ‘hang their heads in shame’, according to Salford mayor Ian Stewart after it was announced that his council face £25million of budget cuts.
Up to 300 Salford City Council workers will be forced take voluntary redundancy or early retirement as part of government cuts, while many of the council’s services will be hit or scrapped altogether.
Elected Labour mayor Ian Stewart is due to meet city’s three MPs next week to discuss approaching Parliament to demand a fairer deal.
Mr Stewart said the residents of Salford have got a raw deal: “These government-forced cuts are horrific and will cause real hurt to real people in Salford.
“It is David Cameron and his cronies who bear the responsibility for the hurt they are causing to local people and the services which they rely upon in Salford. They should hang their heads in shame.
“After three years of austerity, we are being forced to cut into the bone in order to set a legal budget.
“This is not about ‘efficiencies’ or ‘rationalisations’ anymore. These cuts will cause untold damage to the services we provide.”
One of the biggest victims of the proposed cuts will see £5.6million slashed from children’s services and £4.7million from adult services.
“Our two biggest spending departments – children’s services and adult care – will inevitably and regrettably bear the brunt. We cannot make the cuts demanded by the government, without vital services to the young and old suffering some pain,” Mr Stewart said.
“The council has been forced to make these heart-breaking decisions at the government’s instigation, because we have a duty to set a legal budget.
“If we did not, the future for Salford and its people could be even worse, with commissioners ordered in to wreak havoc.”
A number of council services will be shut down as a result of the cuts, including an underused children’s home, and the council will end its contribution to music and performing arts in the city’s schools.
“Some services will disappear altogether. Some will be provided by the council working in partnership with other organisations. Others will be provided by partner organisations on their own,” Mr Stewart said.
“The face of local government in Salford is being changed forever, because of this government’s austerity policies.”
Image courtesy of World Economic Forum, with thanks
