Letter to Kentish Gazette

Published on Tue 10th Nov 2009

Dear Sir,

We all know that local government, including Canterbury City Council, is facing a cash crisis over the next few years. Earlier this year we Liberal Democrats offered to join with the ruling Conservative group here to work on the savings that will have to be made. They turned down that offer of unity in the face of crisis. Even more importantly they refused to engage with residents in a big debate about where savings could and should be made.

So we end up with a 'consultation' where the only savings on offer are the ones the Conservatives have come up with.

Kept out of that detailed and close dialogue with officers, we have no alternative but to oppose those 'savings' which we think will seriously harm the life of the district, and which they defend with very shaky arguments.

Take the proposed cut in youth work. They say ' young people are well catered for in the district'. Time and time again on the doorstep in Canterbury during the election campaign I had parents telling me that there is a shortage of things for their teenagers to do----except at a prohibitive price.

And how can they justify a cut in the grants to voluntary organisations? These are rigorously vetted every year, and go to those bodies that do a good job meeting the needs of the disadvantaged and vulnerable, at a fraction of what it would cost the council to do itself. It does not make sense to cut the grants at a time when those needs are increasing because of the crisis.

While there is still time we will be calling for the big debate with residents, and we Liberal Democrats wish to play a responsible part in finding the necessary savings. But if the Conservatives in their bunker on Military Road continue with their proposals then we will oppose without hesitation those cuts which threaten the services which we have fought over many years to establish.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Vye

Liberal Democrat City councillor for Barham Downs