“The latest round of cuts faced by Middlesbrough Council next year is another example of the callous and cruel impact Tory austerity will have on our town” says Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald.
“Make no mistake, Middlesbrough, our Mayor and Council are ambitious. New shops and restaurants in the town, the refurbishment of the railway station, around Middlehaven and the announced investment by the University show that this is an ambition shared.
“Yet once again the government are tying our hands and seem determined to dismantle the very apparatus that that drives these changes. Further cuts of £6m next year will hit people and the services they depend on hard.
“I’m sure by now our Council Tax payers are coming to understand where the problem lies when it comes to properly funding our public services and it is to the government we must take our battle to for a fair and equitable funding settlement for Councils like ours.
“I also welcome the Council Chief Executive’s call for public involvement in the increasing challenges of resource management the Council is faced with and I look forward to a sensible and rounded exchanges.
“What we also need is a Labour government that will end austerity and work with Councils for a fair deal and new powers to invest in the housing, social care, education and infrastructure that will enable the town to grow and the people who live here to prosper”.