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‘Slaughter of advice centres’ goes ahead
Lib Dems say budget will stabilise voluntary sector
THE Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition last night (Wednesday) ploughed ahead with controversial plans to slash funding to volunteer groups.
In a claim that outraged opponents to the cuts, senior councillors said that the changes would actually make things better.
While Labour members were describing a near 20 per cent cut in funding as “the slaughter of the advice centres”, the coalition said their policies would “stabilise” the voluntary sector.
The see-saw showdown came at an unprecedented one-off full council meeting called to discuss the issue.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Councillor Flick Rea said: “We are getting away from the dependency culture. We will get away from the situation where the groups come to us on bended knee every year. They will have the stability of three year budgets.”
Among those services feeling the squeeze are the Camden Community Law Centre in Kentish Town, the Camden Tribunal Unit and the Mary Ward Legal Centre in Holborn.
In a deputation to the meeting, Alan Russell, a solicitor at the Camden Law Centre, said: “It is still a substantial cut and it’s going to affect front line services. There is no fat in the advice service.
“There will be pressure on us to take shorter cases and we won’t be able to take on people with more complex legal problems which we are qualified to deal with.”
The council has already been pressured into a climbdown, moving from an initial suggested cut of 40 per cent in funding to one hovering around the 18 per cent mark.
Conservative councillor Andrew Marshall said: “I accept we were over-ambitious in how much the advice sector could live with the funding. I do not accept that we have in any way destabilised the advice sector. We do not believe there should be a culture of dependency.”
Camden will still spend nearly £9 million on the voluntary service but opposition councillors said the compromise was not good enough.
Labour councillor Julian Fulbrook said the cuts were the result of a “financial straight-jacket” caused by the council’s drive to freeze council tax later this year.
He said: “Today it is the voluntary sector, tomorrow it will be housing, social services and then eventually it will be schools.”
His Labour colleague Councillor Roger Robinson looked visibly angry in a passionate address to the chamber.
He said: “You will slash, kill and slaughter the advice centres and voluntary sector. You want to save the world by not having a council tax increase.
“There will be a great nought per cent council tax increase. Brilliant. But what is it going to be like for the people who need these advice centres. You go back to your fancy houses while people who are deprived and living in slums who need advice and help will be affected.”
In response, Cllr Marshall made play of the high-profile support of lawyers Baroness Helena Kennedy and recently knighted Sir Geoffrey Bindman for the Law Centre.
He said: “Cllr Robinson can’t take me to my fancy home, I don’t have one. I can take him to the fancy home of Baroness Kennedy. We recognise that it is important to fund the voluntary sector but this is a natural tension and we are taking the difficult decisions.”
Senior Lib Dem Councillor John Bryant added: “Most London authorities spend about £1 million or £2 million. We can’t be accused of being cheapskates.”
As the session drew to a close late last night, Labour and Green members fighting the cuts were ultimately outflanked by coalition members in a final vote – leaving the Town Hall free to persevere with the proposed budget.
Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Braithwaite was the only member of the coalition not to support the proposals. He abstained in the final vote. |
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