PRESS RELEASE For immediate use February 25th 2011
TORIES CLAIM THE PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS WILL NOT AFFECT RUGBY
PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ
Convenor and Press Officer: Pete McLaren pete.mclaren@virgin.net 07881 520626
Treasurer: Julie Weekes Trade Union Liaison: Roy Sandison; Martin Eversfield
Rugby Against the Cuts held a Lobby of Rugby Borough Council last night. They gave out leaflets outlining the alternatives to cutting public spending in order to reduce the economic deficit.
“Tory councillors were clearly rattled, either by our protest, or because they now know we are going to ensure there is an anti cuts candidate in every Rugby ward this May,” spokesperson Pete McLaren explained. “The Council Leader, Cllr Craig Humphrey, told us as he went into the Town Hall that the Council would not be agreeing any cuts in Rugby tonight. Fellow Conservative Councillor David Wright went further, suggesting to protesters that Rugby people would not be affected by any decisions about cuts agreed at that night’s meeting.”
“It was good that Cllr Wright came to talk to us, but it is hard to understand his motivation for making these comments. Staff have been told their jobs are at risk,” he continued. “The Tories are ideologically committed to imposing public spending cuts – so why are two of their local leading members telling us otherwise? Rugby Council has agreed over £4 million of cuts which, according to the Papers going before Council, included:
- The loss of 20 posts, at least 5 of which by the Council’s own figures, will be compulsory redundancies
- Reducing the number of refuse collections
- Ending the Council’s contribution to the Citizen Advice Bureau
- Increasing charges for a number of facilities including sports pitches and parking”
Geoff Dewhirst (Warwickshire Branch Secretary of Unite – Youth Work section) added, “These cuts come on top of those agreed last week by Warwickshire Council, which will decimate the youth service, library provision, and care for the elderly. They will react with each other to make the situation worse for service users. Some services have inputs from both Rugby and Warwickshire Councils.”
“It is not true that cuts to ‘backroom’ posts have no effect on services, and Councillors know that. Services to our communities are often created by, and always enhanced by, networked relationships between agencies. Take even one piece out of this “backroom” network, then services become less responsive, imaginative projects aborted, and only bare, statutory requirements are met.”
NOTES
- Rugby Against the Cuts will be promoting anti cuts candidates, standing in their own Party name or as independents, throughout Rugby this May to ensure every voter has the chance to vote against the cuts
- Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the second Thursday of every month, 7.30pm, at the Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
- Rugby Against the Cuts can be contacted on 07881 520626, atrugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site at
Taken from Rugby Against the Cuts web site
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