Labour call to end austerity in Budget
LABOUR council leaders in Wales have called on the Conservatives to make good on their promise to end austerity in next week’s UK Budget.
Despite Theresa May’s announcement at her recent party conference that austerity was over, Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to confirm a further £1.3bn cut for local government in England, which under the Barnett consequential system would translate to a cut of around £70m in funding to the Welsh Government.
In a joint statement, Labour’s eight Welsh council leaders – Debbie Wilcox (Newport), Andrew Morgan (Rhondda Cynon Taf), Rob Stewart (Swansea), Huw David (Bridgend), Huw Thomas (Cardiff), David Poole (Caerphilly), Rob Jones (Neath Port Talbot), Aaron Shotton (Flintshire) and Anthony Hunt (Torfaen), said: “Monday’s budget announcement is very much a case of make or break for public services – and for the future of many Welsh local authorities.
“It will very much be for the Tory UK Government to make good on their word and truly bring an end to the failed policy of austerity.
“We cannot understate the effects that eight consecutive years of real terms cuts to funding have had on local public services in Wales, which have amounted to a staggering £1bn.
“While we appreciate that the Welsh Labour Government has tried to mitigate the worst effects of austerity, the continuation into a ninth consecutive year will simply mean that some services become unsustainable and we may see situations developing in Wales that are similar to those in England where councils are struggling to maintain the very basic services that residents depend on.”
The leaders claimed the pressures facing major services were unrelenting: “Local authorities are sailing directly in to a social care crisis, and we cannot change our course unless we are given the resources necessary to effectively combat the challenges posed by an increasingly aging population with ever more complex needs,” they said.
“Education is presenting similar challenges, with many schools running budget deficits as reserves have been depleted as councils are finding it increasingly difficult to pass on adequate funding settlements, while ensuring that other statutory functions are delivered appropriately.
“It is clear that we have reached the end of the road and things must change. The philosophy of austerity fails to register that the very efficiencies that it seeks to make are the root cause of further pressures and lead to the consequent need for increased funding to alleviate the strain.
“We therefore call on the UK Government to take note of the #BreakingPoint campaign in scrapping the planned cuts for next year and investing in vital services like our schools and social care.
“We also call on the Welsh Government to pass on any extra funding that the long awaited end of austerity may bring to Wales, in full, so that we can stymie some of the impending crises and invest in our key frontline services.”
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