‘We have no alternatives’ - Birmingham City Council leader reacts to budget cuts

Birmingham City Council has finally provided a major look at how it intends to slash services for children, young people and families amid its alarming financial crisis.

The Labour-run authority is in a dire situation due to factors including rising demand for services, an equal pay fiasco, the disastrous implementation of a new IT and finance system and the impact of years of austerity.

The council faces an enormous budget gap of at least £300 million – with chief executive Deborah Cadman recently warning of ‘unpalatable’ decisions to come. The crisis at the council has sparked fears of cuts to local services, hikes in council tax and job losses, sparking protests outside the council’s HQ amid concerns over expected cuts to youth services in the city.

The council’s budget proposal was finally published on Monday (February 19) and it set out how the authority plans to cut over £100 million from the Children, Young People and Families directorate over the next two years.

The proposed ‘savings’ for next year include:

• Cuts to youth and careers services as well as support for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). Total saving: £1.263m (£1m fund identified to be spent on youth services once full review carried out)
• Early help services contract for children, young people and families. Total saving: £8.378m
• Review of non-statutory transport packages for post-16 – £7.066m
• Reduction of contract sum for Birmingham Children’s Trust. Total saving: £9m

Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton reacts to the proposed budget cuts

Addressing the alarm that such budget cuts would cause to parents and families across the city, council leader John Cotton said earlier today: “What’s really important is that we use our statutory consultation processes to engage with families and to engage with citizens around how we take those proposals forward. But this is a very difficult budget to bring forward and we’re very much aware of that and the decisions we have to take.”

Speaking to the media on Monday, Cllr Cotton apologised for the spending reductions and the council tax increase. “We have no alternatives but to face these challenges head on,” he said. “We will do absolutely whatever is necessary to put this council back on a stable and sound financial footing.

“The level of savings contained in these proposals are unprecedented and the council will continue to face financial pressures as it seeks to meet its wide ranging statutory duties and to protect those residents in the city most in need of support.” He continued that the council needs to “fundamentally change” how it delivers its services.

Speaking at a protest over cuts to youth services last week, Labour councillor Kerry Jenkins said such services were “absolutely vital” to young people in the city. She said: “Every young person should have access to youth services and to lose them in this city at the time would be an absolute travesty and disaster. Whatever happens at the budget meeting on March 5 we have to carry on fighting.”

Lee Wiggetts-Clinton, Unite regional officer, said the protest was about “saving the children and saving the future” and spoke about the impact youth centres have in their communities. “These places are safe hubs for these people,” he said.

Birmingham Conservatives react to the cuts

Leader of the Conservatives at BCC Robert Alden responded to the budget by saying: “These problems have been created by Birmingham Labour but it is Birmingham residents – and their children and grandchildren – who will pay the cost of fixing it.”

Cllr Ewan Mackey, Conservative deputy leader, added: “The cuts Birmingham Labour are proposing are deep and far-reaching – youth services, libraries, street cleaning, bin collections, school transport – little will go untouched and few people will be unaffected.”