"We support a legal no cuts budget and we believe that is possible"
This month, Salford City Council will be attempting to rubber stamp a budget containing £22million of cuts, including a £6.179million cut to Children's Services, a £4.229million cut to Community Health and Social Care, a £3.766million cut to Public Health and a £2.897million cut to Environment Services, including those three weekly bin collections (see here).
This Saturday, Salford Against The Cuts (SAC) will be hosting a public meeting where the community itself will be asked to help draw up a `People's Budget' based on their needs...
"We believe strongly that a budget should reflect the needs of the people of Salford, and that they should participate in drawing it up" explains Paul Gerrard of SAC "Neither of these things happens now. The Council asks people on a website to say what they want cutting, but they don't ask them: 'What do you need?'
"We've been working closely with parents of children with special needs, who are concerned about their transport to school and possible cuts - but it turns out that they are also concerned about the sheer lack of activities for their kids, since many charities like Barnardo's have ceased to provide clubs or playschemes" he adds "That's what they need, as well as safe, reliable transport to school. So we want to give a voice to people who are excluded from budget-setting."
Gerard lists services to vulnerable people that have been cut recently, despite Council leaders saying that they will protect them, including day centres, mental health services, transport for disabled adults and support services for the homeless. However, SAC believes that Salford Council can set a no cuts budget that protects groups like these...
"One of the myths Labour councillors spread is that they are only complying with the law when they make cuts, that you can make cuts and provide a legal budget or you can fail to make cuts and your budget will be illegal" says Gerrard "We support a legal no cuts budget and we believe that is possible. Through use of reserves, and careful borrowing the Council could win time to mount a campaign with other councils to win more resources from the Tories.
"That means more than the odd letter of protest to the minister, or a debate in the Commons" he adds "It means linking up with the other 120 Labour councils, building support among the local authority trade unions, for a united fight against the Tories, to force them to climb down over this death by a thousand cuts which local authority services are suffering. We were under the impression that the Labour Party had a new leader, and that in Salford we have a new MP, who are both against austerity and cuts. We hope to see practical evidence of this in this year's budget-setting."
The People's Budget for Salford public meeting is open to all community groups and local residents.
People's Budget For Salford
Saturday 13th February 1pm
Royal Oak, Barton Lane
Eccles M30 OEN
Speakers include Steven North (Salford City UNISON branch secretary; in personal capacity); Noreen Bailey (SEARCH and SAC); Kevin Bennett (Warrington TUSC councillor)
For further details see the facebook page salfordagainstthecuts.
Or call 07999 951869
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