Well the campaigners took over the library this afternoon and I read my two pages, after Anna Ford and Mary McLeod MP, who promised to have a little word with Eric Pickles, SoS for Communities and Local Government. Last week she was defending the youth service in the Chronicle and this week it's the libraries, what will it be next week Mary? Who put us in this position? What would YOU cut Mary? Oh yes - your quote in the Chronicle suggested the environment; ie roads, parks, increasing parking charges! But we're doing those too. ITV London News were among the press there today.
Mary - we have no room to move thanks to your government's inspired decision to cut local government spend by 25% over 4 years. You said you were going to lobby Eric Pickles, but why not the Treasury too - and what good do think it will do? Are you prepared to admit your Government has got it wrong?
Tuesday night's Executive will agree the cuts package for Hounslow's 2011/12 budget. The papers show that we have taken on board many of the issues raised by the public consultation, so youth services and the libraries are two areas where we have reduced the level of cuts for next year, but only at the expense of other things. And we are NOT going to turn our backs on those who most need public services, but who don't shout out out or send press releases: the children facing danger, the disabled and elderly needing high-cost care, etc, etc
