Lambeth cuts posters branded 'waste of money' (From Your Local Guardian)
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Lambeth cuts posters branded 'waste of money'
9:30am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in Top Stories By Rachel Blundy
Large advertisement boards have been put up around Lambeth to inform residents that council-run services face being scrapped.
Posters paid for by the council to advertise central government cuts have been criticised as a ‘waste of taxpayers’ money’.
Large advertisement boards have been put up around Lambeth to inform residents that council-run services face being scrapped following the government’s comprehensive spending review.
The boards, which the council said cost £600 in total to print, state: “The Government has cut our money by nearly a third, so we are forced to cut our services.”
Residents took to Twitter to vent their anger after a photo of one poster was published on the Guido Fawkes blog last week.
One user said: “Surely that’s a total abuse of council resources?”
Another wrote: “Not enough money, but enough to pay for advertising. Council tax wasted!”
Council Leader, councillor Steve Reed, defended the posters, saying they were necessary for informing residents about cuts.
He said: “One in every three pounds has been cut from our net budget by the Government and the impact of this will be felt by every resident.
“The council has faced extremely tough choices, the hardest for over a generation, and I want residents to understand the context of the choices we face.
“Despite this, we have done everything we can to protect frontline services.”
Do you think the posters are a waste of money? Leave a comment below, email rblundy@london.newsquest.co.uk or tweet @streathamjourno.
Comments(6)
Sungei Patani
says...
9:00pm Wed 15 Feb 12
The Government has cut our money by nearly a third so we are forced to cut services. This is because there was no money left after the previous Government
UKIP-local
says...
10:12pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Any debate about central party funding for local councils should take place in the council chamber and in Parliament.
But wouldn't it be better if councils were self-financing so they could spend their ratepayers' money and answer for it at the ballot box. Read my party's manifesto on how that could be done and make up your own mind.
spragger
says...
10:31pm Wed 15 Feb 12
If these Labour numpties wish to do such things they should pay for it personally.
Or is this yet another case of spending other peoples money?
Ask ol 'boom&bust' Brown
JammyDodger99
says...
11:20pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Jeremy Clyne
says...
9:49pm Thu 16 Feb 12
As for the poster it's a complete lie as it suggests the whole of Government funding to the Council has been cut by a third - in fact the cut is over several years and applies only to one very small part of the funding from central Government - overall the total cut is more like 3 per cent over four years.
Let's have some truthfulness - and some openness and transparency.
Jeremy Clyne
Lib Dem Cllr, Streatham Hill
SarfLondon says...
2:43pm Wed 15 Feb 12