Tonight protesters stopped democracy. By preventing the full council in public we couldn't discuss important issues around Lambeth's budget. Members of the public couldn't hear us debate. This is a massive shame.
I was also due to make my maiden speech. Not wanting to waste my hard work I thought I'd post it!
I am so pleased that only £1 million of the £37 million of cuts this year has resulted in straight cuts to services. Despite scare mongering on management costs, where possible, cuts have been made to costs before services. This is because we know how important our front line services are to residents – and to a small group of our most vulnerable residents these services are a true lifeline.
For these residents front line services are make or break, for them and their families. They often don’t participate in resident engagement. But our residents who did respond to our consultation on the budget, told us they want to protect social services for children, disabled people, older people and those most disadvantaged. This is their priority and this is our priority, and we have protected core services to these groups.
The voices arguing for our playgrounds, parks and libraries are articulate, passionate and informed and most importantly understand the decision making process. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated groups like these in Oval. Many of these groups understand the opportunity the co-operative council affords us to not withdraw services, but to deliver them differently.
However, you rarely find the users of some our most important services campaigning outside the Town Hall. They probably won’t be writing to the South London Press and they probably wont lobby their local Councillors or MPs. But our job as Councillors is to listen not just to the informed few – but to represent our whole community.
We haven’t got time to moon over the what might have been. In the short space of time officers and councillors have had to respond to these cuts, they have had to be creative, collaborative and bold. To think about services in different ways. And we have achieved this because we know what it would mean to many of our residents if they lost vital core services.
We have ensured the continued provision of essential services for our most vulnerable children and adults. Children with special educational needs and disabilities have been protected. There will be a new Livity special needs school. We are not closing any childrens centres.
Unlike Councils like Devon County Council we have protected services to the victims of Domestic violence.
When we lost 100% of the funding for our team which supports residents with HIV – we said it was too important to loose and made the decision to find the money from elsewhere.
Despite the government cutting the grant for free swimming we have managed to part fund a programme that allows under 16’s and over 60’s to swim for just £1.
We are investing £106m in Housing despite the government not being able to commit to the ALMO funding.
We are delivering a £100 million investment programme into our schools despite the government cancelling the building schools for the future project.
We have protected the eligibility criteria for adult care services so the council will continue to provide care for residents in both substantial and critical need.
Targeted youth services are protected and the government watchdog Ofsted rated Lambeth Council among the best in the country in its work to help disaffected teenagers into education, training or work.
I didn't become a Labour Cllr to make cuts to valued services, but I did become a Cllr to make sure that when there are tough decisions to be made- we make the right decisions which prioritise the most vulnerable in our community.
- Posted by jane
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