City MPs have made a last-ditch appeal to save public services in the city – warning the Government that “Birmingham can’t cope”.
They delivered the blunt message as they met Local Government Secretary Greg Clark at Westminster, telling him by 2020 would devastate the authority, as well as health and education.
With a matter of weeks before the cuts – which come – are rubber-stamped, the Birmingham Post has joined with community leaders calling for the Government to reverse its plans.
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Today, alongside sister title the Birmingham Mail, we launch our ‘No More #BrumCuts’ campaign calling for a rethink.
Birmingham will be harder hit by austerity cuts than any other local authority in the past six years.
The next tranche of cuts by 2020 will have a massive impact on city services which could include:
- More patients stuck needlessly in hospital because there’s no social care for them
- The end of Homestart, a service helping struggling parents to give their children a better start in life
- Cuts to school crossing patrols.
Already, more than half of council employees have been axed in the past six years amid funding cutbacks.
And more are imminent with 1,200 job losses announced and £90 million more spending reductions planned next year alone.
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The city has been hit hard by the Government funding formula which means that while the council’s spending will fall by £100 per household this year, the national average is £53 and some shire counties will actually see an increase.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) pointed out that funding for Birmingham will continue to be higher than in most parts of the country, despite cuts.
That is because Birmingham has high levels of deprivation and low property prices and the authority is more reliant on government grants, with just nine per cent of income raised by council tax.
The Government’s proposals are currently the subject of a consultation, and the final spending allocations are likely to be confirmed in February.
Speaking after the meeting with Mr Clark, Mr Dromey said: “Birmingham is a city that has suffered the biggest cuts in local government history. Conservative cuts on the scale proposed risks putting social care, emergency services and the protection of the most vulnerable at breaking point. Birmingham needs a fair funding deal now.
“Fair treatment next year would see the city £85 million better off, wiping out painful cuts Birmingham will otherwise suffer.”
New Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy also attended the meeting along with Birmingham’s Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell (Con Sutton Coldfield). However, Mr Mitchell said Birmingham had to live within its means.
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He said: “It was a constructive meeting but there is no point in fighting the last general election over again.
“Birmingham has to settle its budget and live within its means and the Government has already softened the effect of the national formula which works specifically for Birmingham’s advantage.”
A spokesman for the DCLG said: “This Government is providing a long-term funding settlement for the first time allowing local authorities to plan with certainty.
“Councils will have almost £200 billion to spend on local services, including a £3.5 billion social care package, over the lifetime of this Parliament.
“Birmingham council core spending power per household is higher than the England average and the council will have £3.39 billion to spend between now and 2020.”