Rochdale hit hard by Government spending cuts

Rochdale hit hard by Government cuts

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

It will lose £9.6 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 4.4 per cent cut is the third largest of the 10 district councils. Only Manchester and Oldham will lose more.

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:

1. Manchester: £28.1 million (5.1 percent) — Labour
2. Oldham: £10.4 million (4.5 per cent) — Labour
3. Rochdale: £9.6 million (4.4 per cent) — Labour
4. Salford: £10.1 million (3.9 per cent) — Labour
5. Tameside: £7.9 million (3.8 per cent) — Labour
6. Bolton: £9.5 million (3.7 per cent) — Labour
7. Wigan: £7.1 million (2.5 per cent) — Labour
8. Bury: £3.7 million (2.3per cent) — Labour
9. Stockport: £2.7 million (1.1per cent) — Lib Dem
10. Trafford: £1.2 million (0.7 per cent) — Conservative