Rt Hon David Blunkett, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, has called for a “complete re-think” of strategy by the Lib Dem leadership of Sheffield City Council as they deal with enormous projected budget cuts for this year and the three years ahead.
Mr Blunkett was commenting on the financial papers to be put before the Council Cabinet at the Town Hall today, which propose to reduce the budget for the Council by millions of pounds over the next nine months.
Mr Blunkett said: “£3.25 million of the amount that will be cut this year is from children and young people’s services.
“It’s hidden by the title of the funding from central government, which is called ‘Area Based Grant’. That grant is specifically for the most disadvantaged areas of the city and the most deprived families and communities.
“That is why the city got the money in the first place – and that’s who it is intended to help.
“By cutting this funding, following the decision of the coalition Government to cut over £6 million from the Council budget between now and the end of March, the Lib Dems are hitting those in greatest need.
“Laying aside the fact that draconian cuts this year are not necessary, as can be shown from the massive jump in economic growth in the three months to the end of June, the issue is: ‘Who should take the biggest share of the retrenchment and who should be protected?’
“The City Council should approach this issue with imagination and creativity. Taking the whole of the Council budget, with funding from whatever source, the Council should examine every nook and cranny and re-prioritise – rather than cutting that portion of expenditure that specifically comes from government to help the most disadvantaged communities.
“Instead, the Lib Dems are adopting exactly the policy criticised in the Sheffield University report, A Tale of Two Cities, which is to withdraw funding from neighbourhoods in the north and east of the city – the ones who are supposed to benefit from the additional funding in the first place.
“It is vital that a complete change of strategy is adopted – and it is to be hoped that the opposition coalition of Labour, Greens and an independent councillor will be able to stop the worst of these proposals.
“Not all the cuts this year will have an immediate effect. But if this strategy were to be adopted next year, with a further £14 million of Area Based Grant being pulled by the Government, then it is obvious that the most in need will be the ones who are hardest hit.
“This is immoral, unacceptable and would be devastating in terms of our social fabric, as well to the economy of our city.”
ENDS
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