Barnet Conservatives are calling on the Labour-run council to provide detailed information on the planned cuts to Barnet’s public services and on all future plans to cut costs.
The Labour-led council recently released a totally misleading press statement that the financial deficit they have generated amounts to just 5% of the council’s overall budget. However much of Barnet’s expenditure is required by law (statutory services) so those areas where the council has discretion such as street cleaning, parks maintenance and community skips are a much smaller part of the budget. The real deficit is at least £40m, not £20m as claimed so to balance next year’s budget it will be necessary for Labour to make major cuts to almost all of these non-statutory services that Barnet residents depend on. These services also include vital services such as non-domestic waste removal, graffiti cleaning, and festive lighting for Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, and Diwali.
The Labour administration has announced that over £7 million in cuts have already been agreed, with much larger cuts on the horizon. The £7m of cuts were agreed without any discussion at Cabinet. We ask who made these decisions.
Cllr Peter Zinkin, Leader of the Conservative Group, voiced deep concern over the lack of detail from the council on the cuts that have already been agreed. "Residents need to know exactly which services will be affected, and the council must be transparent about the decisions it is making. This lack of detail is alarming, and we demand full transparency on what Barnet’s residents can expect. He asked why have Barnet residents not been consulted" When he asked at Cabinet last night for assurance that no services would be affected it was not forthcoming. He asks “What are the Labour administration hiding or are these cuts just fantasies like many of the proposed savings in this year’s budget?”
Cllr Lucy Wakeley, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, added, "It is critical that the Labour council conducts a comprehensive equalities impact assessment before making any further cuts. The most vulnerable in our community will be hit hardest by these decisions, and we must ensure that their needs are taken into account before services are reduced."
Barnet Conservatives are urging the council to be transparent with residents about the scale of these and future cuts and the impact they will have on the quality of life in the borough.