Labour’s approach to the budget smacks of the politics of division (Hard Times, December 11).
Labour make a lot of noise about protecting the vulnerable. Yet their ill-considered cuts to adult social care, youth centres and Merton Adult Education (MAE) will hurt the most vulnerable in our community.
No one denies the need to make difficult savings as the country tackles the deficit left by the previous Labour Government. However, reducing spending is not an excuse for uncosted, ill thought through and bad policies.
At the recent scrutiny meeting called by Conservative councillors, the Labour cabinet member responsible for Adult Education couldn't even say how much closing Whatley Avenue would save. And at November’s full council meeting, he appeared to pluck a fictional number out of thin air when asked by a concerned resident how much funding MAE receives from the Skills Funding Agency.
How can you say something must close when you don't actually know how much it costs or what the actual saving would be? Even council officers admitted there is no detailed financial appraisal for each option under consultation. And yet Labour are not interested in considering Conservative proposals to make the service self-funding or even revenue generating.
Instead, when Labour are unable to justify the decision on financial grounds, they resort to class warfare, claiming that only affluent people use the service. This just isn't true as the many unemployed residents who MAE have helped back into work would testify.
Under Labour, the council is cutting front line services. Yet at the same time they don’t even know how many staff they employ. They also added another £9million to council reserves last year taking them to £115million.
This failure to invest in initiatives that would deliver more efficient services indicates a lack of financial management.
Labour are using the smokescreen of government spending reductions to hide their own ill thought through policies that will unnecessarily hurt the most vulnerable.
Councillor Oonagh Moulton
Leader of Merton Conservative Group
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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