24th November 2008

Oxford City Council is in dire financial straits. It is facing a budget gap of more than £5m.  Only a small part of this is attributable to the 'credit crunch' - most is the result of spending cuts forced on the City by the Labour Government announced well before any financial economic downturn. To give one example, the Government has failed to fund to the tune of £500k changes to the concessionary bus fare scheme. The City's Labour Councillors have also frittered away money on pet projects - more than £1m this year alone.  As a result, this money has to be cut from other services.

The Labour-run City Council can blame no-one except themselves and their Government. They are slowly piecing together a 'budget of a thousand cuts' slashing services across the Council. Yet the  draft budget they are presenting to Council in December still has a gaping hole. They have failed to identify where £2m of the savings are to come from.