Job losses and cuts approved by councils
Plans to axe hundreds of jobs and save millions of pounds have been given the go-ahead.
Both Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council approved their long-term budget strategies yesterday.
The Labour administration in the city will shave 7% off its £280m pot over three years – while cutting around 300 posts.
In the county, the ruling Tory group will cut £66m, or 20% from the budget and lose 650 posts over four years.
At the city council's meeting, the main objections raised by opposition councillors were on plans to build a new art gallery by New Walk Museum and spend £5m turning the old Bishop Street post office building into a customer service centre.
During the lively debate, council leader Ross Willmott said: "Refurbishing the post office building uses staff skills and space better, it brings back into use a much-loved building."
Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups proposed amendments to the budget last night, which were rejected.
At County Hall, the Liberal Democrat opposition amendment, which involved cutting the council's communications budget, was also rejected.
Leader of the council David Parsons said: "No-one wants to make service reductions but we have to live within our means. We have looked at every possibility to limit the damage on staff and the public."
Council tax in Leicester will rise by 1.9% in the next financial year, and then 2.9% each year after that until 2013.
If the Conservatives win this year's General Election, there will be a tax rise of 2.5% next year in the county and 0% for three years after that.
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by John Ryde, Newbold Verdon
Thursday, February 25 2010, 1:21PM
“"A hung Parliament "
Sounds like a good idea... that used to be the punishment for treason.”
by Pete, Wigston, Leicestershire
Thursday, February 25 2010, 12:29PM
“This country (and many other countries too) has been brought to its knees by selfish rich fat cats eg bankers who demand more and more money whilst often avoiding paying tax. Even now they expect millions more to be paid in bonuses and for what exactly - doing a job well as most others do for £20-40,000 a year and not even £100 bonus!
The two young lads, Cameron and Osbourne, with no experience of government and little experience of the sort of life that the mass majority leads would be a disaster if the Conservatives came to power, except for the rich or right wing. Haven't the Conservatives got anyone half decent to lead their party? Before Thatcher they were quite good.”
by Neil, Leicester
Thursday, February 25 2010, 12:20PM
“The private sector has had to make plenty of cutbacks & savings throughout the recession so it is about time that the public sector did likewise. Money wasted on Council Tax is money that cannot be used to help bring the local economy out of recession which costs other people (like shop keepers, builders & plumbers ) their jobs.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Thursday, February 25 2010, 10:40AM
“Tel,
'Labourites' cannot keep harping on about the past. The Conservatives that ran the Country prior to this woeful Labour Government are not the same as the current Tories, nor the Lib Dems etc. Fact is that Labour inherited a very good economy and have done their best to ruin it. And they have. Brown had his 'Fiscal Rules' which he promptly disgarded when they didn't suit, etc
As I said, whoever (whatever party) takes over when Labour are removed on May 6 will have the biggest economic deficit in the history of this Country to deal with.
The Tories have said they will cut and now, eventually, Labour have admitted that they will be making cuts. To quote one of the unelected Business Secretary announcements "In December, Lord Mandelson announced there would be huge cuts in high education spending." These cuts are THIS year, not from 2011 onwards. That is just one example.
It is going to get tougher for all of us.”
by Daniel, Leicester
Thursday, February 25 2010, 10:33AM
“Tel, City Centre - shall we even bother talking about the countries gold that Brown has given away, or the privatisation of eduction and healthcare that your starting to see around you, the very things that you and the rest of the Labourites spend all your time moaning about with 'the Thatcher years' Its the same thing, why are you living in the past? If Labour can re-invent itself as Nu Labour then surely the conservatives can have a go a re-inventing their party too. I smile when hearing people talking about 'The Tories' and how the world will end if they come to power again but in reality I have worked and voted under both parties and I was pretty much financially the same through both, nothing really changed.”