Leaders fear for the most vulnerable in society

The swingeing cuts, announced yesterday by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, will see authorities like Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees and Hull facing a massive funding shortfall next year when they are combined with increased demand for services.

Ian Greenwood, leader of Bradford Council, warned the most vulnerable in society will suffer.

"The cuts are massively front loaded, and the most disadvantaged places in the country are being hit the hardest," he said. "This represents a massive attack on the services which help the most vulnerable people in our communities."

Leeds City Council leader Keith Wakefield said thousands of jobs will go. "We are facing a 90m funding shortfall next year, we have plans in place to cope with this, but clearly many jobs will have to go and front-line services will be hit."

And Mehboob Khan, leader of Kirklees Council, said the cuts were "ideologically driven".

"The Government does not have to cut this fast or this deep to reduce the deficit," he said. "It is being driven by a Tory right-wing ideology to shrink the state, and it is the most vulnerable in society who will suffer."

John Weighell, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We have been looking at where we can save on services and clearly there will be job losses, but we will try and maintain elderly care services.

"It is very difficult, I have been a councillor for 28 years, and I have never experienced anything like this."

Carl Minns, leader of Hull Council, said, however, the cuts for his authority were "better than expected". "In many ways the Government are being criticised for trying to do the right thing. There are a lot of councils, like Hull, that became overly reliant on the government grant.

"There will be job losses but, although it will be difficult, it is not impossible for them not to be compulsory. We will publish our proposals for how we intend to make our savings in January."