I think everyone accepts that we have to make sensible cuts in our expenditure while being fair to all , keep up momentum for regeneration and not to tip us back into recession. We have a Tory administration here in Walsall that has said 'let the market decide' as a principle for running Walsall. School swimming pools are at risk with probable closure of 30 of the 40 pools. Cuts in libraries and their opening hours, closure of leisure centres and their opening hours plus maybe attempts to sell them off to be run by private enterprise. there will be staff reductions but cutting will effect front line services. the budget for maintaining open spaces such as parks I am sure will be cut.
we will be checking very carefully what cuts are proposed and challenge where we feel these are unjust and cause hardship to the most vulnerable.
The fact that this Tory Council have spent over £2 Million getting ready for the now cancelled building schools for the future program and over £1 Million on the primary school program preparations .. also cnacleed by this new Government.. all money now gone down the black hole of wasted money .. to add to all the rest of our money lost... the figure of over £1 million lost by not keeping good enough records of european money spend and so not able to reclaim money that was properly spent on regneration... the contiued loss of around £15000 a month paid to compensate for loss of advertising income from street adverts to Amey.. again due to incompetence of officers ... however the buck stops with the councillors who are the ones ultimately responsible to the public.
the first test will be on November 11th when there is a by election in Rushall ward where we not that the Liberals are not even putting up a candidate...this should normally be a safe Tory seat.. we shall see.
Ian Robertson
secretary Walsall South Labour Party
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