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Labour slam ‘rich’ Tories over £10m cuts to budget
A WAR of words has broken out between the Tory-run council and the Labour opposition over £10 million budget cuts due next year.
Finance chiefs have tabled plans to slash the money from next year’s budget, which will damage “front-line services”, Labour councillors claim.
The plans follow last week’s revelations that the council has more than £68m stashed in its reserve.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group said: “Despite the council’s finances being overflowing with cash, the Conservatives want to slash services and hit the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable. No other council in Britain is as rich as Westminster.
“With over £68m in the bank the council should be expanding services, not cutting them”
Westminster Council described the cuts as “efficiencies”. A spokesman said: “Faced with further cuts to vital government funding, senior Westminster councillors have agreed a radical new financial package to avert the worst consequences being felt by local people.”
Councillor Colin Barrow, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “Westminster faces a major threat to its future social services funding for children and adults with disabilities, mental health and substance abuse issues from next year. A new funding formula could shift over £300m of vitally needed resources away from inner London – including £25 million for Westminster – to councils in the north.
“We have been protected against these losses in 2007/08 but there is a real danger this financial cushion will disappear.”
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