Clegg: councils can cut spending without hitting key services

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Central Government, Housing

Councils can cut spending without hitting services, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said yesterday.

The Lib Dem leader pointed to local authorities in England which could protect amenities people rely on, while shedding jobs and dealing with tough budgets.

He said: "There's a great deal of discretion about how local councils respond to those same pressures.

"I'm very struck in the city where I'm an MP that the Liberal Democrat council in Sheffield has kept every library open, every swimming pool open, hasn't made any major cuts to adult social services and only 270 people will be laid off during the next year.

"Across the Pennines in Labour-controlled Manchester, 2,500 people have been laid off and almost everything has been closed across the whole of the city."

The comparison came after shadow local government minister Jack Dromey accused a top Lib Dem councillor of complaining about cuts - then signing a budget leading to the loss of thousands of jobs.

Mr Dromey said: "Birmingham City Council will today (1 March) vote through the biggest local government cuts in history, £212 million next year.

"Two weeks ago the deputy leader, (Lib Dem) councillor Paul Tilsley, wrote to the Prime Minister protesting against the cuts. Twenty-four hours later he signed the budget."

Former union leader Mr Dromey (Birmingham, Erdington) also referred to criticism of Mr Clegg after he went skiing last week during the Libyan crisis while Prime Minister David Cameron toured North Africa and the Middle East

"Believing as he does in restoring faith in politics, how would he describe the actions of councillor Tilsley - or is he too on a slippery slope?" asked Mr Dromey.

Speaking at Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Clegg replied: "In Birmingham, like all great cities, difficult decisions are being made and I trust they are being made in a way which safeguards the services for the most vulnerable in that city."

He added: "All local authorities, of whatever political persuasion, are having to face a very, very tough local government finance settlement.

"We've not hidden that fact."