CYP Now - Government accused of politically motivated cuts to children's services

Conservative-controlled councils are facing lower budget cuts in children's services than authorities controlled by other political groups, CYP Now's budget research has found.

Based on figures obtained from 87 councils across England, children's services in Liberal Democrat-led councils face an average cut of 12.22 per cent. Labour authorities face a lower cut of 8.38 per cent, with authorities categorised as "no overall control" earmarked for cuts of 4.13 per cent on average.

According to the budget figures provided, Conservative-led authorities will be 4.07 per cent worse off.

At the time of the comprehensive spending review last year, Labour said the poorest neighbourhoods would be "hardest hit" by the cuts. There have since been accusations, from figures including Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes, that Labour councils may have made worse cuts than necessary to stoke anger at central government.

Reductions in Liverpool

Labour-led Liverpool City Council is set to lose four children's centres as part of a major reduction of its early years provision. Jane Corbett, cabinet member for education at Liverpool City Council, said any suggestion that cuts have been made in politically sensitive areas to create anger towards the government are untrue.

She said massive back-office savings and cuts to the pay of senior staff have been made ahead of cuts to frontline services. This has allowed the council to commit to protecting children's care services to a larger degree, according to Corbett.

Children's social care services in Liverpool will still face a reduction of one per cent on its budget of £600,000 but no child protection social workers will lose their jobs.

Corbett pointed to the fact that Liverpool is facing the highest percentage cut in central government funding.

"I would say these cuts are politically motivated by the government," she said. "I have been to four nurseries to speak to staff and parents, and everyone is in bits. There is no way I could have done that if it was politically motivated [by Labour]."

Critics of the government say the biggest cuts to council revenue support grants fell on areas with the highest levels of deprivation, traditional Labour heartlands.

Disproportionate cuts

Analysis published in January by CYP Now, found that cuts will disproportionately affect authorities with higher levels of children in need.

Tim Nichols, spokesman for the Child Poverty Action Group, said it is concerning that the areas facing the most severe cuts appear to be ones with high levels of urban poverty.

"I think that claims that authorities making cuts [to frontline services] are only doing it because they have failed to make meaningful backroom savings are wide of the mark," he said. "Those kinds of saving are not going to nearly cover the shortfall."