Budget Process Begins
Trafford’s Draft Budget – On the Agends for Exec
It’s been well aired that Local Government is taking the biggest hit in the Conservative Govt’s attack on public services. Trafford. However, the Tory Govt has targetted the most deprived areas, so in comparative terms we have not been hit as hard as Manchester and Salford.
Trafford’s ‘spending power’ is reduced by 3.8% compared to Salford’s 8.5%. Whilst we’re not facing the massive redundancies of Manchester and Salford, we are going to lose services. Personally I found Tory crowing at the expense of Manchester extremely unedifying. I was pleased to see the Manchester Evening News was also critical
It is disappointing enough that Westminster MPs should indulge in Manc-bashing. It is a tragedy that we should hear the same from local politicians on our patch. Carefully built-up cross-party alliances in Greater Manchester – alliances forged for the benefit of the entire city-region – are crashing down around our ears.
Trafford Tories should remember how many local residents have family connections with Manchester and its Council. People are losing their jobs, putting their homes at risk – in Trafford as well as Manchester. Our Tories are behaving according to their DNA “If it ain’t hurting, it ain’t working”. Shameful.
Apart from scrutinising the budget which dominated the week, I also attended
- a Health Inequalities Workshop in Manchester
- Labour Party Quiz
- Urmston Labour Street Stall
- Overview and Scrutiny
Lastly, I went to see the mobile libary as it made its way through the areas not served by local fixed libraries. What a great service it is. The users I saw really appreciated the chance to get outside and choose a book with friends.
Trafford is scrapping the mobile library to save £8000. By the time they’ve paid for reduncdancies and paid up on the lease of the van it’ll probably cost them to remove the service, but they’ll still do it anyway.
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