YP Letters: Budget cuts for councils will only get worse

I SYMPATHISE with North Yorkshire County Council and other councils forced to cut services due to lack of funds, but the situation will now worsen.

All local authorities have cut budgets since 2010 as central government reduced grants. These will be cut further. Worse, central government forces councils to spend on new services – e.g. on supporting vulnerable adults aged 18-21, an expensive business.

Councils have the rising costs of social care to deal with. Across Britain there’s an estimated £2bn funding gap. Money will increasingly go on social care, leaving almost nothing for libraries or public transport.

I hoped for Budget recognition, but the Chancellor ignored local government almost completely. All too usual from a Whitehall-knows-best Government.

Unfortunately North Yorkshire leader Carl Les misleads in blaming the funding system. Changing the system without more money means that increases for North Yorkshire will come only at the expense of other councils. While London is an easy target for the true born Tykes, the capital’s high living costs mean councils there pay above average salaries to get 
staff to work for them.