Today’s meeting of Warwickshire County Council heard a statement from the Conservative Leader outlining plans to cut a further £67 million from the Council’s expenditure over the next three years, threatening up to another 317 jobs. The statement will be followed by consultation with unions, staff and the public, and comes ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in Westminster on 23rd November. Next February the County Council must set its budget for the next three years.
The Liberal Democrat group will now study carefully the new savings plan put forward, and continue to be guided by the key priorities which it has promoted consistently over several years, in particular investing in early years’ education.
Lib Dem group leader Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Rugby Eastlands & Hillmorton) said:
“The dithering and inconsistent messages coming from the new Conservative government make it almost impossible for local councils to plan realistically for the medium term.
“For example, what will be the outcome of the consultation on business rate retention, which will be a much important part of local government financing in future? When will the government break its deathly silence on how and when revenue support grant funding will disappear? When will it decide how it wants to take forward the whole question of combined authorities as it affects non-metropolitan areas?
“Central government continues to exert a stranglehold on local councils’ funding options, and over the coming weeks and months could announce further decisions which would blow the current Warwickshire savings plans out of the water.”