Cuts were necessary – Tory leader

Oldham’s Conservative leader Jack Hulme is backing his boss David Cameron and the Chancellor George Osborne over Wednesday’s spending cuts saying they are “necessary”.

Councillor Jack Hulme says they demonstrate the Government’s determination to bring national finances under control.

And despite cuts of around 27 per cent to local council spending, he said the council will work to ensure local tax bills don’t rise in April.

Oldham’s four Conservative councillors have formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats to run Oldham Council after the hung local election result in May.

He added: “We recognise the headline reduction in funding for local government will put significant pressure on Oldham Council’s finances over the next few years.

“However, the measures announced to remove the ring fencing of grants to allow us greater local choice in how our budgets are used is a positive step, and will enable us to ensure the services that matter most to our communities are protected.”

His group also welcomes protection for local schools and Surestart centre budgets, and the significant investment to be made in opening a women and children’s unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital, he said.

He added: “The measures are necessary to repairing the damage the Labour government did to our public finances.

“We won’t have the full detail of how the announcements will impact in Oldham until later in the year, but it’s clear that the council will be expected to operate with significantly fewer resources.

“I’m committed to working with our Liberal Democrat partners to transform this council into an organisation that will continue to serve local people and ensure high quality public services are delivered in our borough.”