Wirral Council launches massive consultation over cuts, slammed by Labour as “public choosing method of their own destruction”

Jul 28 2010 by Matt Hurst, Heswall News

A MASSIVE consultation exercise over council cuts launched by the ConLib coalition was slammed by Labour.

The new administration is inviting residents, staff, stakeholders, businesses and community groups to make their priorities clear, as leaders brace themselves for swingeing budget reductions.

But Labour leader Cllr Steve Foulkes dismissed the idea as an exercise in whether taxpayers wish to be “hung, shot or guillotined”.

Under the title WIRRAL’S FUTURE. Be a part of it, “independent working groups” will filter budget restrictions and service demands into “options for residents to consider”.

Four areas, children and young people, adult social services, living in Wirral and economy and regeneration, will be focused on and the options presented to residents for discussion over a six week period, from September 13.

Feedback will then be fed back to the task groups, who will “finalise their options papers” over four weeks, before they are presented in a report to cabinet on November 25.

Wirral Council leader, Cllr Jeff Green said: “Wirral Council is facing the same budgetary challenges as all other local authorities across the country and we must adapt.

“We want council taxpayers to be a part of this process by having a genuine say on how their money is spent so that we can make sure that council services reflect their priorities.

“I am confident that the people leading this work have the necessary expertise and experience to ensure an independent and comprehensive review, based on the views of Wirral people.”

But Labour leader Cllr Steve Foulkes slammed the “massive taxpayer funded exercise”.

He said: “The reality is that, until November 25, far from holding a meaningful consul-tation which will actually lead to better services, they will actually be debating in great detail the various ways in which the public can be agents of their own destruction.

“They will be consulted in great detail on whether they wish to be hung, shot or guillotined and, when the final method of execution is finally decided on, this administration will defend the inevitable death because it was the public which chose the method of their own destruction.”

But Cllr Foulkes’ former administrative partner, LibDem leader Cllr Simon Holbrook, sees things a little differently.

Cllr Holbrook said: “This is a new opportunity for everyone to become involved in shaping the future of council services for decades to come.”