Somerset Tories vote through £10,000,000 cuts

Predictably and appallingly the Tory led Somerset County Councillors have agreed that £10,000,000 should be cut from public services. There has been no evidence of any objections from any Tory in the council to this Government sponsored cut- they have been craven in totally accepting what the Tory Party has told them.

            I read in that Linda Vijeh says ‘if we do not tighten our belts we cannot go forward’ WE??? How many of this Tory led council are dependent on busses, home, nursing  and residential care? How many of them are amongst those that will lose their jobs? How many of them are in sheltered housing, or need mental health care or help with learning disabilities?  We?  As always its the poor, disabled and disadvantaged that suffer. I’m reminded by her remark of the discredited ‘all in it together’ fantasy. And how could a proposed amendment to modify these cuts be described as ‘reckless’? And how can these cuts be fair when the Tories do nothing about the billions avoided in tax and keep the billions in unclaimed benefit.

            The council needs to be more transparent. If they are challenging the Government about these cuts then they ought to tell us. And also tell us why they can’t ‘comment’  on the ‘Wheelergate ‘ business, about the CEO’s inflated salary and pay off..how many thousand pounds? And who pays? We need to know. Was it a tiff? A coup?  Incompetence? What?

            This council in this instance  seem determined to ignore serving the people who voted for them and more inclined  to be in thrall to the Nasty Party.

Dave Walsham
NUT Retired member

COUNCILLORS MUST FIGHT THE CUTS SAYS SOMERSET PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY

Bridgwater members of the Somerset People's Assembly will join a lobby of Somerset County Council on Wednesday 19th February at 9.15am, outside Shire Hall, Taunton, organised by Taunton's Anti-Cuts Community Campaign Group.

Councillors will meet to discuss proposed cuts of £30 million to Council services, followed by 3 more years of similar cuts. "Soon there will be nothing left" said People's Assembly spokes-person, Sarah Shaw. "These cuts will mean more job losses, more privatisation, further reduction of services, and closure of facilities, but we'll still go on paying council taxes for non-existent services. What a con!"

It's time for councillors to stand together to call the Government to account. These cuts aren't the result of local councils squandering money, or because they don't know how to cost and deliver services. They are due to continued cuts and underfunding of local councils by central government.

Lobby Government for increased funding

Instead of continuing to be the Government's spineless "hatchet-men", it's time councillors remembered why they were elected in the first place. Local councillors should represent local democracy and carry out the wishes of local people. They must refuse to carry out the proposed cuts and, through the Local Government Association, lobby Government for increased funding for local councuils.

The People's Assembly calls upon the people of Somerset to join the lobby on 19th February, and support the national campaign against cuts and austerity.

CONTACT: G BURROWS 077813 562 869