Delivering services is a big election issue

The city council’s budget plans do not make pleasant reading. Job losses, cuts to charities’ funding, a huge chunk out of Vivacity’s budget, reduced services and council tax going up again by four percent. It’s not difficult to see why opposition councillors are saying the much-trumpeted end of austerity has turned out to be a false dawn. Council leader John Holdich isn’t sugar-coating the bad news admitting it is one of the most challenging he has faced. The PT this week highlights some of the most vulnerable in our society who are also some of the biggest losers in the cutbacks. It is up to councils to balance their own books and provide services but the Government must also shoulder responsibility. As he ended hie spell as chairman of the Local Government Association earlier this year, Lord Porter leader of South Holland District Council - said that funding cuts and rising demand pressures are combining to push local services to the brink. The Local Government Association estimates that councils in England face an overall funding gap of £3.1 billion in 2020-21 - which is why in Peterborough the budget is making around £33m in cuts at the same time as charging taxpayers more. Councils can always be more efficient and they must continue to restructure to become more efficient. We currently have a city council, a county council and a mayoral authority covering Peterborough and Cambridgeshire - is that structure really the most efficient? The Brexit debate will dominate the forthcoming General Election - as it should. But funding for councils and local services post Brexit and how local services can be delivered and maintained must also be one of the key issues.