Oldham is second biggest grants loser

OLDHAM has been hit harder than most other boroughs in Greater Manchester by Government spending cuts.

It will lose £10.4 million spending power next year through a reduction in central grants and council tax, according to figures in the provisional local government finance settlement for 2015 to 2016 for English Councils published today.

The 4.5 per cent cut is the second largest of the 10 district councils. Only Manchester City Council will lose more with a cut of £28.1 million (5.1 percent).

Oldham Council was told earlier this year that it would lose £60 million from its budget from central government over the next two years.

The £10.4 million is not in addition to that figure but shows in more detail where reductions are being made.

Statistics suggests Labour-run Northern councils have been hit harder than anywhere else in the country. Conservative-run Trafford Council will lose 0.7 per cent and Lib-Dem-run Stockport will only be down by 1.1 per cent.

The spending power of some councils in the South will increase. Tewkesbury will gain 3.2 per cent, while Surrey will get an extra £27 million, or 3.1 per cent.

Brian Strutton, national secretary of the public-sector workers union GMB, said: “These latest cuts announced today takes the cuts to council budgets to nearly 40 per cent since 2010. This is government which has been hell-bent on destroying local public services.

“Councils themselves should stop saying ‘we can cope’ and should come clean about the effects of these cuts which have left vital services like elderly care and children’s services in dire straits.”

The Greater Manchester league table of cuts:

Manchester: £28.1 million (5.1 percent) — Labour

Oldham: £10.4 million (4.5 per cent) — Labour

Rochdale: £9.6 million (4.4 per cent) — Labour

Salford: £10.1 million (3.9 per cent) — Labour

Tameside: £7.9 million (3.8 per cent) — Labour

Bolton: £9.5 million (3.7 per cent) — Labour

Wigan: £7.1 million (2.5 per cent) — Labour

Bury: £3.7 million (2.3per cent) — Labour

Stockport: £2.7 million (1.1per cent) — Lib Dem

Trafford: £1.2 million (0.7 per cent) — Conservative