Economy crisis: Calderdale Council's services under threat from national financial troubles, councillors warned

Supporting a Labour motion calling on the Government to urgently review its plans, safeguard finances and support local government, Labour and Liberal Democrat Calderdale councillors queued up to lambast Prime Minister Liz Truss’s Conservative administration.

Cabinet member for Resources, Councillor Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden), said the Government’s recent plan for growth was having “disastrous consequences” for the economy.

She said in the “chaos”, the needs of local authorities and their residents are being “completely overshadowed”.

“All those residents who are going to be experiencing difficulties because of the state of our economy are going to be looking to us as a council to help them and we are going to be in no position at all to help them because we are going to be struggling with those very same problems,” she said,

“Without further help, councils are going to struggle to continue to provide the current level of services and balance the books.”

Seemingly addressing Conservative councillors – none of whom spoke in the debate – Liberal Democrat group leader Coun James Baker (Warley) said: “What I would say about it is next time you see a pothole, next time you wonder why the bus service has been cut, next time you complain there aren’t enough leisure centres, or next time you complain about the many failings of local government, do consider, just perhaps, (the impact) the sheer scale of ongoing cuts, continued cuts and further announced cuts are going to have on the ability of local government to deliver services.”