Flint: Letter is ‘too little, too late’

Caroline Flint MP, shadow communities and local government secretary, said in response to the letter:

“Liberal Democrat councillors may have no confidence in Eric Pickles and the Tory-led government, but they are still complicit in the decision to hit councils with reckless frontloaded cuts – cuts that are too deep, too fast and that put frontline services, local jobs and growth at risk.

“This letter is too little, too late and comes the day after Liberal Democrat MPs joined their Tory colleagues in voting for a deeply unfair local government settlement. They could have voiced their opposition before yesterday’s crucial vote but chose to remain silent.

“As a result, Surestart centres, libraries, bin collections and many other local services are under threat of cut backs or closure because the Tory-led government has chosen to hit councils with cuts that are frontloaded into the first year rather than spread out over four years.”