WHAT IS THE POINT OF ERIC PICKLES

This awful Government has once again displayed its utter contempt for local services, with local government once again bearing the brunt of further swingeing cuts.

The services provided by local councils have already been forced to shoulder the greatest burden of the cuts to public spending, and George Osborne has come back for more.

It rather the begs the question, what is the point of Eric Pickles who has done nothing to stand up for local government. The extra two per cent cut in 2014/15 that was announced today is unsustainable.

Local authorities already faced a £1 billion cut to funding for 2013/14. This was on top of the 28 per cent reduction set out in the spending review and the further 2 per cent now announced today for 2014-15.

Local councils have sought to manage the worst impact of the cuts so far by maximising efficiencies and redesigning services. But these further cuts will see frontline services being put to the sword. But the Government is impervious to the impact this will have on residents who rely on and value.

But the ideological zeal with which they are shrinking the role of the state is blinding them to them economic impacts of this folly. The fact is, additional cuts to local government funding will further undermine the national economy. Limiting councils’ ability to invest in growth-generating services and projects will unnecessarily prolong the economic downturn.