While deprived Salford and other such inner city areas of the country get absolutely hammered by cuts announced by the ConDem Government tonight, the affluent Tory heartlands in the `shires' have got off relatively lightly.
Next year, Salford suffers a 8.52% reduction in its `revenue spending power' (all the money it gets in from Government grants and council tax), while places like Cheshire East get a mere 1.63% cut. Figures like this mean it is absolutely clear that this Government of Lib Dems and Tories are taking huge amounts of money out of the neediest areas, with the resulting social problems this will bring.
From what we can work out from the Government's table of cuts (see here to work it out yourself!) for 2010-11 and 2011-12, Salford will lose the following…
2011-12: Its `formula grant', down from £152.2m in 2010-11, to £135.4m
Its `specific grants' down from £36.1m in 2010-11, to £25.6m
Its overall `revenue spending power', which includes these grants and other funding such as council tax, down from £278.7m in 2010-11, to £255m in 2011-12. A cut of £23.7m or 8.52%
2012-13: Its `formula grant' down to £124.9m
Its `specific grant' down to £23m
Its overall `revenue spending power' down to £241.7m. Another £9.8m cut or 3.9%.
Add these together and it's a total cut, we believe, of £33.5million over the next two years.
This will have a devastating affect on public services – and makes the £20million grant from Salford Council to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the £20million loan towards the Salford Community Stadium for the Salford Reds look a bit hollow.
Tonight we checked out the Twitter account of Salford City Council Leader, John Merry, for a possible comment on the cuts. But all we could find was the following Tweet from yesterday…
"Emerging from weekend chess tournament to prepare for tomorrows announcement on grant think I would rather bury my head in chess again!"
Quite!
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