Liberal Democrat members of Warwickshire County Council have expressed disappointment at the announcements by the County’s Conservative Leader on Thursday on the future shape of the Council, and how it should address budget cuts of £92 million over the next four years.
They are critical of the Conservative administration for sitting on the issue for months since the elections in May, rather than recognising the realities of a no overall control council and engaging in the earliest possible dialogue and debate with the other political groups.
Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Rugby Eastlands & Hillmorton), Lib Dem group leader, said:
“We need to engage with communities across Warwickshire, and work together across political divides, if we are to find the way forward to address this massive financial challenge which can command the widest possible understanding and support. Liberal Democrats will be pro-active in making sure this happens.”
The Lib Dems have grave concerns about the outline £92 million savings plan published by the Conservatives, in particular disproportionately large cuts in vital children’s services such as Early Intervention and Learning & Achievement.
In the critical areas of health and adult social services, the Lib Dems will be pushing for accelerated integration of NHS and council resources and budgets, with the new NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups stepping up to the mark and working seamlessly with the County Council to deliver the best possible outcomes for vulnerable and dependent people.
The Lib Dem county group’s budget team will be working hard over the coming months with officers to establish clear priorities for future spending and to minimise adverse impacts on vulnerable groups. Final decisions on the County Council’s budget for the next four years will be taken by all elected members at the Full Council meeting on 6th February 2014.