Tory spending cuts hinge on council by-election
6 December 2007
Citizens of Brighton & Hove face a 'winter of discontent' as unions threaten strike action in the face of severe Tory cuts to council services in the city.
160 council jobs could be axed by the Tories because of funding cuts imposed by the Brown Labour government, and pledges by Tory councillors to keep council tax rises down to rate of inflation.
The city council sits on a knife edge with the Tories needing only one more council seat to take the majority control that will allow them to push through their council tax and service cuts programme.
If the Greens hold their seat in this by-election, opposition parties will retain the chance to force the Tories to reconsider.
Despite their promises not to cut services, the Tories are secretly planning swingeing cuts to plug a £7 million hole in their budget.
Planned cuts include closing a care home and three learning disability centres, with jobs being lost in rubbish & recycling collection, library and museum services, regeneration, and children’s services. Nursing homes are also under threat.
Unions, including the GMB and Unison, have pledged to fight for the livelihoods of colleagues if compulsory redundancies are announced, which would lead to disruption in services for everyone in Brighton & Hove.
A Labour Councillor has already admitted that Labour will not win the Regency by-election. It is between the Greens and Tories now.
Green Cllr Pete West said “The choice made by voters in Regency on Thursday will affect the entire city.
"We fear Tory cuts to frontline services and job losses, provoking action from Unions which could seriously disrupt council services across the board.
"We don’t want to see workers have to resort to this, and we don’t want to see rubbish piling up in the streets because of Tory cutbacks”.
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries, contact Lizzie Deane, External Communications Co-ordinator, on 07899 843206.Councillor Pete West is a member of the Finance Management Sub-Committee. He can be contacted on: 07825 387373
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