TORY SPIN AT RUGBY COUNCIL!

PRESS RELEASE                           For immediate use February 25th 2011

TORIES CLAIM THE PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS WILL NOT AFFECT RUGBY

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com

rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com

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, at rugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site at http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com   

RUGBY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNERS SUPPORTING COVENTRY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGN AND SLAM WARWICKSHIRE YOUTH AND OTHER SERVICE CUTS!

As Labour led Coventry City Council voted through £39m of cuts for the coming year, it has emerged the council will be going on a spending spree. While 1,000 workers face redundancy and services to the vulnerable are slashed, councillors will spend £18 million forcing workers to take redundancy.

(More Information, Pictures and Video from Coventry Against the Cuts) http://www.coventryagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/

Fury as Warwickshire County Council approve massive cuts

(Article and picture from Warwickshire Telegraph - Report will follow from Rugby Against The Cuts Members)

PLACARD-waving protesters gathered outside Warwickshire County Council’s headquarters as councillors met to approve massive budget cuts.

A petition signed by 13,000 people against cutbacks to youth services was handed in by campaigners at Shire Hall in Warwick.

Councillors voted through bitterly-opposed plans which would close old folks homes, libraries and youth clubs.

About 1,800 jobs will go over the next three years.

Ruling Conservative councillors yesterday pushed through their plans for £21million cuts this year, rising to £60million over three years, which will see up to 1,800 job losses.

Set to close are nearly all the council’s 10 elderly care homes, up to half of its 34 libraries and youth clubs.

Cuts will also hit the Connexions careers service to young people, street lights will be switched off at night, while the county music service and children’s centres also face cuts.

Conservative council leader Alan Farnell said it was a “firm but fair” response to unprecedented 26 per cent government funding cuts to councils to tackle the £150billion national deficit.

He told yesterday’s budget-setting meeting it was also an “opportunity” to transform council services.

Tory councillors echoed Prime Minister David Cameron’s “Big Society” call for community volunteers to step in to run services, including libraries, youth centres and care homes.

They also favour more commissioning of private firms and social enterprises to run services.

Council tax will be frozen this year, and charges will rise for many services, including home care of the elderly and transport to schools.

Labour leader Coun June Tandy accused the Tories of hiding behind government cuts.

She referred to national charity leaders who have criticised cuts made via councils to charities that provide volunteers, at a time when Mr Cameron was promoting his ‘‘Big Society’’.

Coun Farnell said “difficult decisions” were needed, adding: “We’re trying to do as much as we can with the finances we’ve got... in striving to achieve value for money.”

He said the council would shift towards becoming a “business-led commissioning organisation”.

Earlier, Tory plans to scrap the entire youth service were attacked by Lib Dem councillors, who said the partial U-turn of £1million funding would still see many losing out.

Conservative councillors hit back, saying £1million extra would provide for youth workers in multi-disciplinary teams supporting the most vulnerable young people.

Labour councillors’ alternative plan included keeping open all libraries, youth services, and protecting charities, partly by cutting councillors’ pay by 25 per cent.

Lib Dems and Tories pointed to Labour plans to close all museums and four recycling centres, and uncosted savings plans for 2013/14.

Lib Dem leader councillor Jerry Roodhouse said that, despite the “ya-boo politics”, all three parties’ plans were for difficult cuts, and he blamed the last Labour government’s deficit.

Labour councillors said Tories were in denial about the global banking collapse and international recession, which saw spending increase to support jobs and savings. They accused Tory councillors of slavishly following the “slash and burn policies” of their national leaders.

LOCAL PROTESTS AGAINST THE CUTS

LOCAL PROTESTS AGAINST THE CUTS

The cuts planned will result in the loss of 1280 workers jobs from Warwickshire County Council, 450 Warwickshire Police Authority Jobs and 450 Jobs cuts from the NHS in Coventry and Warwickshire – if we don’t fight these cuts – it will not only mean nationally an estimated 600,000 jobs lost but also hundreds of thousands in the private sector – all to pay for the gambling debts of the bankers!

The cuts in services will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in our society be they the elderly, children or the sick and anyone at an indiscriminate time when you personally or your family need to use an emergency service such as the NHS, Fire or Police Service!

Why should our people pay the price?

LOCAL LOBBIES AND ACTIONS:

• WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, Shire Hall, Market Square, Warwick CV34 4SA Tuesday February 15^th (9.15-10.15am)
• COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL  Earl Street, Coventry  CV1 5RR Tuesday February 15th 12.30pm
• RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL Evreux Way, Rugby CV21 2RR Thursday February 24^th from 6pm

AND

THE TUC NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION 

‘MARCH FOR AN ALTERNATIVE’

LONDON SAT 26^TH MARCH 2011

DEMONSTRATE TO SAVE WARWICKSHIRE YOUTH SERVICE - Tuesday 15th February from 9.15-10.15am at Shire Hall in Warwick

WARWICKSHIRE PEOPLE SAY NO TO 'CEASING OF YOUTH SERVICE'!

The Tories were hopping to push through the closure of the Warwickshire's Youth Service with little debate - unfortunately due to the actions of the UNITE Trade Union and young people using the youth service collecting the far in excess 5000 signatures  necessary for a debate at the County Council the Tories will be have to answer for their destructive plans.

Rugby Against the Cuts urge local people to attend the demonstration outside Tuesday 15^th February from 10am at Shire Hall in Warwick  The County Council meets on the day on to debate their budget proposals.