BUS ROUTES BLITZ
Broke councils plan huge cuts and also target libraries and recycling
BUSES, libraries and recycling centres face the axe and street lights may be turned off as desperate councils battle bankruptcy.
A survey shows just 22% of England’s county councils are confident of avoiding “financial insolvency” this year without extra funding.
Three-quarters say they are likely to cut bus subsidies, which allow services to run on less popular routes, and 63% said they are likely to turn off some street lights.
Just over half said they would probably reduce opening hours at libraries or recycling centres, or shut them altogether.
The County Councils FEARS Sam Corcoran Network warned they have an £821million black hole in budgets next year. Vice-chair Sam Corcoran said: “The next two years are shaping up to be some of the most challenging for councils in recent memory. After a decade of austerity and with inflation soaring, if the Chancellor does not spare councils from further cuts and provide more funding for local authorities, everything is on the table when considering which vital services to cut.”
The survey comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt prepares to unleash fresh cuts on councils from 2025 in his Autumn Statement on Thursday.
A Government spokesman said: “This year, we have made available an additional £3.7billion to councils for vital services. We will announce next year’s financial settlement shortly.”
CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt was warned against another brutal era of austerity in next week’s Budget while Britain is on the brink of recession.
The economy shrank by 0.2% between July and September amid the cost of living crisis.
Another three months of falling growth would mean a recession, with the Bank of England warning it could be the longest downturn for a century.
Mr Hunt and PM Rishi Sunak met again yesterday to nail down £21billion in annual tax rises and £33billion of spending cuts by 2027/28. They were told not to repeat the “mistakes” in 2010 of former PM David Cameron and ex-Chancellor George Osborne.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The Tories crashed the economy and now the country is on the brink of recession.
“As the government prepares for the Autumn Statement, ministers need to act now to boost the economy.” Thomas Pugh, of accounting firm RSM UK, warned the UK faced “austerity mark 2”. Mr Hunt warned of “extremely difficult decisions to restore economic stability”. His cuts could give him nearly half the £54bn savings he wants in Thursday’s budget and delay them until after the 2024 election. Mr Hunt vowed to make a possible recession “shallower and quicker” than forecast.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves accused No10 of leaving the economy exposed to rising costs, fuelled by the Ukraine war.
She said: “Today’s numbers are another page of failure in the Tories’ record on growth.” The Lib Dems’ Sarah Olney said Tories “can never again claim they are the party of sound money”.
The fall contrasts with growth of 0.2% in France and Germany. graham.hiscott@mirror.co.uk @Grahamhiscott