High Peak Liberal Democrats

Possible library closures - why we are where we are!

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First it was the closure of respite care homes, then it was charging extra to collect green waste. Now it's the possible closure of some of Lincolnshire's libraries. Do you see a pattern here?

Before the library defenders man the barricades I would implore them to devote some of their energies to the defence of local government, while we still have it! You see, the common denominator in all this is money, or rather, a lack of it and how it affects the ability of Lincolnshire's county and district councils to provide essential and non essential services.

Over many years local government, particularly at first and second tier levels, has been gradually emasculated by Westminster, sometimes by statute but usually by a reduction in funding. In recent years, with so many schools opting out of local authority control and many district councils transferring their housing stock to housing associations, to give just two examples, there is even less that local democratically elected councils can influence.

Since the previous government, with the active assistance of our wonderful bankers, left the economy in such a mess, the need to make savings is acknowledged by most people to be inevitable. However the financial hit taken by local councils has been massive, resulting in job losses and, through them, cuts in services which have impacted on many people's lives.

Coupled with the unwillingness of many councils in the past to countenance large rises in council tax, a situation made virtually impossible now by legislation and more palatable only by the acceptance of the bribe of the government's council tax freeze grant (something that cannot continue indefinitely) you have a situation where, with even more cuts in funding in the pipeline, by the end of the decade there will be precious few services left that local councils can afford to provide.

Whilst not the solution to all our problems (money will be tight for many years to come), it is fair to say that areas that have replaced county and district councils with unitary authorities have not only been able to save money but have generally been able to avoid many of the cuts in front line services that other non unitary areas have been forced to make.

It might be libraries today; but it could be roads, social care, parks and recreation centres tomorrow!

If you support the change to Unitary authorities please sign our petition in support of a restructuring of local government today

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