Hackney,
13
March
2019
|
18:23
Europe/London

Mayor of Hackney responds to the Chancellor's Spring Statement

Hackney Town Hall

The Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, has responded to the Chancellor's Spring Statement:

"Once again, the Chancellor in his Spring Statement spectacularly fails to address the challenges austerity continues to create for Hackney and local people.

There is virtually nothing in this statement for local government and for frontline services - education, welfare, housing, children’s services and adult social care - on which so many of our residents rely.

Central government has slashed Hackney Council's core budget by £140m since 2010 - a cut of 45%. - that is the equivalent of £529 for every Hackney resident. This is money out of the pockets of our poorest residents, those who rely on our services the most.

While extra funding to tackle serious violence is welcome, this does not even come close to matching the £600m that has been taken from the Metropolitan Police Service’s budget alone since 2010 nor stop the cuts still to come.

The housing crisis in Hackney and across the country is acute, but Government has once again missed the opportunity to act decisively and give local authorities the resources we so desperately need to build more genuinely affordable homes for those on our housing waiting lists.

Our residents cannot afford for Brexit to be a distraction from the real and pressing issues that face them. Despite what the Prime Minister and Chancellor may have said there is no end to austerity in sight.”