The crisis in Local Authority budgets – Leeds Councillor Wakefield joins Council leaders to warn of impact of funding cuts

This week saw an unusual alliance. 150 Council leaders – of all political parties – joined together to call for adequate funding in the 2015/16 spending round.

As the next spending round is decided by Osborne and Pickles, this was a plea – from all sides of the political divide. It’s a unity which is evidence of the gravity of the crisis facing local government under this Tory/LibDem Coalition.

The letter was organised by the Local Government Association. In it, Leeds leader, Councillor Wakefield, and the other Council leaders made clear the impact on services of further cuts from central government.

The letter showed that local authorities have suffered funding cuts of 33%, compared to the average reduction of Whitehall Departments of 12%. Whilst many authorities, including Leeds, have tried to protect vulnerable people wherever possible, the size of any further savings could endanger their abilities to protect important local…