Motion by Councillor Liz Brighouse
“This Council notes that many council budgets are at breaking point. Austerity has caused huge damage to communities up and down the UK, with devastating effects on key public services that protect the most defenceless in society – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people- and the services we all rely on like roads, libraries, children’s centres, waste management:
· Central Government cuts mean councils have lost 60p out of every £1 that the last Labour Government was spending on local government in 2010
· Councils now face a further funding gap of £7.8 billion by 2025 just to keep services “standing still” and meeting additional demand. Even Lord Gary Porter, the Conservative Chair of the LGA, has said “Councils can no longer be expected to run our vital services on a shoestring”.
This Council resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government setting out the funding pressures faced by Oxfordshire and calling on the Government to truly end austerity in local government.”
Decision:
The Motion was lost by 30 votes to 27.
Minutes:
Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Turnbull seconded the following motion:
“This Council notes that many council budgets are at breaking point. Austerity has caused huge damage to communities up and down the UK, with devastating effects on key public services that protect the most defenceless in society – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people- and the services we all rely on like roads, libraries, children’s centres, waste management:
· Central Government cuts mean councils have lost 60p out of every £1 that the last Labour Government was spending on local government in 2010
· Councils now face a further funding gap of £7.8 billion by 2025 just to keep services “standing still” and meeting additional demand. Even Lord Gary Porter, the Conservative Chair of the LGA, has said “Councils can no longer be expected to run our vital services on a shoestring”.
This Council resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government setting out the funding pressures faced by Oxfordshire and calling on the Government to truly end austerity in local government.”
During debate, Councillor Laura Price moved and Councillor Lynda Atkins seconded ‘that the question be now put’. The motion was put to the vote (those having spoken not voting) and was carried by 27 votes 15, with 1 abstention.
Following summing up, the substantive motion was put to the vote and was lost by 30 votes to 27.
RESOLVED: accordingly.