‘Absolutely toxic’ debate over £2m Calderdale cuts laced with political sting

Senior councillors at the meeting on October 5 approved cuts with the proviso that the most controversial, relating to waste services and libraries which are highly visible, will have to come back before Cabinet before they are finally signed off.

Ruling Labour group Cabinet members alleged the Government had not kept its promise to “do whatever it takes” to get through the pandemic with extra help given to alleviate the impact nowhere near covering revenues that were being lost because of the coronavirus pandemic.

And although current problems are largely triggered by pressures caused by the pandemic, they claimed it also had to be framed in the light of cuts imposed by the Conservative/Liberal

Democrat coalition Government from 2010 and the Conservative Government alone since 2015.

Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) said the Government had not kept its pledge to do “whatever it takes” to get through the pandemic.

No certainty of what Government funding would be forthcoming, loss of income from fees and charges such as revenue from parking charges and leisure centre fees, loss of Business Rate and Council Tax income and the ongoing effects of these impacted on the budget deficit and extra financial help given by Government did not fill the gap, he said.

Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) said budget cuts over ten years under Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition and then Conservative Governments totalling £115 million had also led to this situation with reserves being used up to keep services at the level they had.

“No-one can think we want to do this.

“We simply cannot carry on with this level of services on the current level of projected budget pressure,” she said.

Seventy per cent of Calderdale’s budget was spent on statutory adults’ and children’s social care services, she said.

The Local Government Association which represented all political parties has issued a “devastating critique” of the funding of councils over the last ten years, including the guarantee COVID-19 costs will be met in full, and estimates nationally local authorities need £10.1 billion of core funding by 2023 simply to maintain existing service levels, said Coun Dacre.

Coun Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge), attacked suggestions made by particularly Liberal Democrat councillors that money could be switched from capital projects, where funding had been provided by Government or the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for specific purposes, could be used for other services.

“Rather than opposing everything put forward opposition members should point out how they they would make the savings now required,” he said.

But Liberal Democrat Group Leader Coun James Baker (Warley) said he had campaigned on some issues and had received an “absolute torrent of abuse” on social media largely from Labour supporters and criticised Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) for liking one of the posts.

Coun Patient said he had been contacted by a Liberal Democrat group member about the issue but he could not check if it was true he had inadvertently liked a post, because it had been removed.

Regarding criticism of political points made Coun Patient said the council was largely in the position because of ten years of funding cuts and parties involved had be be accountable for that.

Coun George Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) said he was appalled by the discourse.

“This debate has been absolutely toxic – does it take the youngest councillor in Calderdale to tell you to grow up?” he said.

Coun Geraldine Carter (Con, Ryburn) said she had been messaged by Coun Wilkinson implying she could pressurise the Conservative Government.

“Coun Wilkinson indicated that me as a backbench Tory councillor might have an impact on Government.

“At this level we don’t have any impact and he doesn’t on the Labour Party,” she said.

Coun Rob Holden (Ind, Ryburn) said he had never seen so much political “joshing” and all parties should be working on a cross-party basis.

“We all know that financially we are in a hole,” he said, and added councillors knew about Government cutbacks in previous years and that 70 per cent of the council’s income had to be spent on adults’ and children’s social care, they did not need reminding.

Coun Swift disagreed and said a lot of people did not understand 70 per cent of their council tax was spent on social care but believed it was primarily spent on services like those under discussion.