Labour budget aims to protect services

OLDHAM’S Labour group has revealed its opposition budget and declared there is an alternative to frontline cuts.

The party’s proposals would stop more than £3.3 million of cuts the Lib-Dem and Tory administration on Oldham Council is planning for adult social care and frontline services.
Instead, Labour would save more than £5 million by taking the axe to the communications team and publications, councillors’ allowances and administration priority investments.

Labour leader Councillor Jim McMahon said: “We have listened to the people of Oldham and introduced over £5 million of new budget options in areas such as press and communications, councillors’ allowances and non-essential spending.

“We have ensured the burden of cuts is taken by back office and managerial posts and not on the front line.

“Most importantly we have protected the vulnerable by removing the closure of day care and respite centres and the privatisation of social care.

“There are always choices to be made and we hope people in Oldham will see Labour is in tune with their thinking.

“We also hope petty party bickering will stop and that members on all sides will see our options strike the right balance of fairness and budgetary responsibility.”

Labour says it would save nearly £250,000 by reviewing the press and communications team, £104,000 by reviewing One Oldham Magazine, £50,000 by deleting the Local Matters and One Team magazines, £1.5 million by deleting the remaining administration priority investments and £96,000 by reviewing members allowances and benefits.

Full rent recovery to Unity Partnership for Henshaw House would claw back £180,000, reducing staff in the leadership office and members secretaries by two each would save £102,000, reducing external printing by 60 per cent would save £286,000, reviewing policy officer posts would save £150,000 and a review of casual library staff and the library book fund £175,000.

Other reviews include central support services (£360,000), Trust Oldham (£250,000), recruitment advertising (£150,000), travel and accommodation (£25,000) and food and drink at meetings (£10,000).

Lib-Dem cuts that would be shelved include carers’ grants of around £260,000, the closure of four residential care homes at nearly £800,000, the privatisation of domiciliary care provision at £900,000 and the privatisation of four supported living properties staff at £150,000.

The school crossing patrol service would be saved at a cost of £180,000, scrapping charges for disabled badge holders using council car parks costs £94,000 and scrapping charges for visitors to countryside centre car parks costs £25,000.

Four members of the economy and regeneration teams and an economic development business liaison officer would be kept on at a cost of £436,000.

Labour wants the administration to consider its options as a sensible approach to protecting frontline services.

Labour’s finance chief, Councillor Abdul Jabbar, said: “The Government settlement has left Oldham in a very difficult place with over £41 million of cuts to make.

“The Government has dumped places like Oldham by removing vital funding which the community relies on.

“We have accepted a number of options proposed by the current administration but feel cuts to social care and carers simply go too far. We urge all councillors regardless of party to get behind our ideas.”

Money has also been put in place to refurbish the Old Gallery in Union Street and free-to-access wireless broadband will be funded to link in with the pending street lighting replacement.

A pledge to low-paid workers will also be backed up by funding the introduction of a Living Wage whereby no employee will be paid less than the cost of living in Oldham.

Labour says its budget is the only fully-costed opposition budget in Greater Manchester. It will go before the council’s Performance and Value for Money Select Committee on Thursday for scrutiny.