Tories’ priorities are wrong on axing services

Published: 28 January, 2011

• THREE-QUARTERS of the £52million cuts planned over the next two years by Westminster City Council will hit front-line services to older people, children and environmental services such as refuse collection and street sweeping, as well as cuts to library services. 

The cuts to front- line services total £39.6million compared with just £12.9million to be cut from the city council’s back-room central administration.

Adult services are the worst hit by the council’s cuts, with over £14.6million axed from the budget, representing  28 per cent of all the cuts proposed by the Conservatives. 

Next worst hit are environmental services such street sweeping, refuse collection and road maintenance which loses £12.9million (25 per cent of the total budget cuts).

The city council currently spends £58million of its £255million annual budget on back-room administration but only 25 per cent of the cuts will affect these services.

The Conservatives are protecting back-office central administration above front-line services to vulnerable adults and children. How can they justify spending over £50million on administration and say they cannot afford the £2.75million it costs to continue to care for vulnerable adults with moderate needs? 

The Conservatives have got their priorities completely wrong and need to think again about axing vital front-line services. 

CLLR PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Leader of the Labour Group