Plans to reverse Labour’s closure of older people’s day centres, drop-in centres and luncheon clubs are part of the Liberal Democrat’s alternative budget proposals.
In the five amendments to Labour’s budget, to be proposed on Thursday (24th Feb 2011), Liberal Democrats have set out their choices for spending priorities which would protect older people’s services, invest in the youth service, support action on crime, and help to develop the voluntary sector and job creation.
Liberal Democrats have said that Labour are making the wrong decisions targeting front-line services for cuts and, have proposed instead, new savings in IT, management, and communications.
The position faced by Haringey is made worse by Labour’s home-made financial crisis. A £10 million overspend during the course of the current year, £20 million of cost increases forecast for next year, the failure to deal with waste sooner, the ongoing impact from the £37 million frozen in Icelandic Banks all add up to put Haringey in a worse situation to deal with the funding reductions.
Cllr Robert Gorrie, Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader and Resources Spokesperson, comments:
“Haringey Labour’s home-made financial crisis compounds the mess made by their Labour colleagues nationally when they were in government
“We believe that there is an alternative to Labour’s decision to close older people’s day centres, cut youth services by 75%, and cut funding for action on crime and job creation.
“More savings can be made on the £16.5 million spent on IT, the £20 million spent on senior management, the £1.5 million spent on communications, and the £3 million spent on policy and performance. Yet Labour have instead made the choice to shut day centres and cut youth services by 75%.”
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“If Labour had been better at managing the budget in times of prosperity, they would have been much better placed to deal with today’s cuts.
“Despite the difficult financial circumstances, I believe my colleagues have come up with a strong alternative budget that protects the frontline for the most vulnerable.
“I hope Haringey Labour will listen hard this Thursday, and make better choices that are better for Haringey’s residents.”
To sign the petition against cuts to older peoples’ services please click here: http://bit.ly/SaveOlderPeoplesServices
To read the Haringey Liberal Democrats’ alternative budget proposals please click here: http://bit.ly/libdembudget
Lynne Featherstone 
Going by your recent record Lynne, the local Lib Dems would immediately renege on any concessions they won at a local level anyway.
Is it true that on 9th February you voted for the government’s devastating attack on the communities in Hornsey and Wood Green? What decent MP attacks their own communities? If this is true then you should resign NOW. We need an MP that can stand up for our communities not some government toady.