Public Spending - Cut Bureaucracy, Not Front Line, say Lib Dems (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Public Spending - Cut Bureaucracy, Not Front Line, say Lib Dems

December 14, 2009 3:26 PM

There are almost constant announcements of more public spending cuts at County Hall. Cllr Zoe Patrick, Leader of the Opposition, said today:

"The latest announcement that Oxfordshire County Council will be planning to cut over £106 million from its budget is astounding - and very alarming. Liberal Democrats in Opposition at County Hall will be checking these plans very carefully as they come before scrutiny committees, to ensure that the front line services that people depend upon are not first in line for cuts. However, as all scrutiny committees are chaired by Conservative members, we are not expecting to see any proposals coming forward which are not endorsed by the ruling group and sadly this appears to be what is happening in action.

"In Opposition, we have called for backroom functions and the council's slick marketing machine to be scaled back - it is appalling that elderly people are faced with losing day care services, for example, when the County wastes money on needlessly glossy publications, on spin and on box ticking. No-one will die if one piece of paper is not moved from one desk to another in the policy unit, but if a care worker doesn't show up to an older person needing care at home, then it could be life or death. The Local Government Association is calling for a reduction in red-tape and bureaucracy, and we say that this should be the area where we need to look first at what is being delivered at the taxpayers' expense.

"The latest shock is the recent announcement on funding to the youth service as reported in Friday's Oxford Mail headed 'Madness'. As local councillor for Grove and Wantage, I am seeing at first hand, the huge impact this reduction in service will have on the community I represent. Indeed, I facilitated the young people's speaking at the Children's Scrutiny committee last Tuesday to present their case. Young people are our future and our youth workers do excellent work in ensuring that some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged youngsters get the help they need. The knock-on effects in health, policing and local families cannot be easily measured except potentially in any noticeable reduction in future crime statistics and less call on our heath services, for example.

"What is particularly astounding about these announcements is that they come so suddenly, apparently out of the blue. Before the election in June, there seemed no need to plan for cuts. However, the national economy was in a dire state before June and nothing significant has changed since. Was the bad news delayed until after the County election? Or have the administration had bad news from their colleagues at Westminster? They do not seem hopeful about a possible Cameron government being any better than Labour. It may even appear that there is worse to come."