Austerity has been abandoned?

Not in Northumberland.

The Conservative led Northumberland County Council sets out its budget plans this week.

With their left ears turned away from the Chancellor of the Exchequer who has twice told the nation that "austerity has ended", Northumberland Conservatives are still in the ideological Tory pre-pandemic mode of creating a two tier society, 'them and us'. With more than 50% of families affected by deprivation in its differing forms and a planned budget that extends the problems throughout the County.

Similar in attitude to small third world nations, this £Billion spending institution has made no comment on the links between its budget headings or seems to want to acknowledge that links actually exist.

The major cuts are:

Adult social care.      £-3,261,000

Community services £-364,000

Children's services   £-1,482,000

Healthy lives.            £-179,000

The links between looking after older people and the traditional services delivered by charities in village halls and community centres is undeniable but Tories will tell you that those places are dens of socialism, after all the Tolpuddle martyrs met in their village hall and they have been hellbent on damaging community meeting places since gaining power at County Hall in May 2017.

Those same links exist for Children, as the village halls and community centres also house youth and junior youth clubs and give access to learning equipment to children who can't gain the access necessary to decent IT at home through their own families. Living in deprivation for the last 11years under a national Government whose eyes sit focused on business and the rich magnates who donate to their coffers does not help children in need and that need is much wider than the 'focus' issued through the right-wing press.

These next two headings are mainly down to losing jobs and causing greater inability to deliver services across Northumberland with the South East corner, Tyne Valley and the rural Coalfield losing out massively.

Corporate services  £-1,179,000

Local services in communities

                                £-2,248,000

The links between these services and the needs of people and communities has been massaged over during the last five years of a Tory administration at County Hall as Town and Parish councils have poured £millions into trying to maintain services at a local level but these cuts appear to be beyond the parish precepts and they may have to concentrate on the protection of their local village halls and community centres. A change of emphasis in this respect would instantly show how little of your Council Tax is spent delivering the services you as local people need and expect, but austerity is what austerity gives, a two tier society and the Tories love it!