A open letter to the Chancellor

Dear Chancellor,

Your Government's efforts to deal with the deficit so far have focussed on cutting public spending. Since 2010, 1,500 fire fighters have lost their jobs; over 300 libraries and 400 Sure Start centres have closed; police numbers have been reduced by over 6,000 and there are 5,000 fewer nurses. The rise in people relying on food banks is a clear sign that many are facing high levels of economic and social distress. 

We believe that you should invest in growth. Local government is demonstrating its ability to drive growth by providing infrastructure investment and supporting local businesses. Allowing local government to borrow in line with prudential rules will enable us to invest in building houses and create desperately needed jobs.

Councils have been handed some of the deepest cuts in the public sector. Local authorities have seen their budgets cut by 33% in comparison to 8% across Whitehall departments. Further cuts to local government would only shift costs to other public services leading to more budget pressures overall on healthcare, policing and prison services.

We believe that you face a clear choice. Rather than hitting frontline services, this Budget presents an opportunity to pool funding across public agencies and could save taxpayers up to £4 billion each year. We are offering help to deliver this policy.

At a time of increased unemployment, the nation's safety net has been seriously compromised. The bedroom tax, council tax benefit reductions and other cuts will mean that many people will struggle to keep their heads above water.

We believe that you should support those who are being hit hardest by the economic downturn. Scrapping the bedroom tax and looking again at the costs to families of all the benefit changes should be a priority before giving tax cuts to the richest people in the country.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Alan Smith, Leader of the Council, Allerdale Council

Cllr Paul Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, Amber Valley Borough Council

Cllr Robin Stuchbury, Leader of the Labour Group, Aylesbury Vale District Council

Cllr Liam Smith, Leader of the Council, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Cllr Alison Moore, Leader of the Labour Group, Barnet London Borough Council

Cllr Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader of the Council, Barnsley Council

Cllr Simon Greaves, Leader of the Council, Bassetlaw District Council

Cllr Susan Oliver, Leader of the Labour Group, Bedford Council

Cllr Chris Ball, Leader of the Labour Group,           Bexley Council

Cllr Sir Albert Bore, Leader of the Council, Birmingham City Council

Cllr Kate Hollern, Leader of the Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Leader of the Council, Blackpool Council

Cllr Eion Watts, Leader of the Council, Bolsover District Council

Cllr Clifford Morris JP, Leader of the Council, Bolton Council

Cllr David Green, Leader of the Council, Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Cllr Philip Barlow, Leader of the Labour Group, Braintree District Council

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, Brent Council

Cllr Mike Le-Surf, Leader of the Labour Group, Brentwood Borough Council

Cllr Gill Mitchell, Leader of the Labour Group , Brighton & Hove City Council

Cllr Helen Holland, Leader of the Labour Group, Bristol City Council

Cllr Julie Cooper, Leader of the Council, Burnley Borough Council

Cllr Mike Connolly, Leader of the Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Timothy Swift, Leader of the Council, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of the Labour Group, Cambridge City Council

Cllr Sarah Hayward,         Leader of the Council,    Camden Council

Cllr George Adamson, Leader of the Council, Cannock Chase District Council

Cllr Jewel Miah, Leader of the Labour Group, Charnwood Borough Council

Cllr Justin Madders, Leader of the Labour Group, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Cllr John Burrows, Leader of the Council, Chesterfield Borough Council

Cllr Alistair Bradley, Leader of the Council,            Chorley Borough Council

Cllr James Alexander, Leader of the Council, City of York Council

Cllr Tim Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Colchester Borough Council

Cllr Elaine Woodburn, Leader of the Council, Copeland Borough Council

Cllr Tom Beattie, Leader of the Council, Corby Borough Council

Cllr John Mutton, Leader of the Council, Coventry City Council

Cllr Tony Newman, Leader of the Labour Group, Croydon Council

Cllr Stewart Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Cumbria County Council

Cllr Bill Dixon MBE,           Leader of the Council, Darlington Borough Council

Cllr Mrs Joan Butterfield OBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Denbighshire Council

Cllr Paul Bayliss, Leader of the Council, Derby City Council

Cllr Anne Western, Leader of the Labour Group, Derbyshire County Council

Cllr David Sparks OBE, Leader of the Council, Dudley Council

Cllr Simon Henig, Leader of the Council, Durham County Council

Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of the Council, Ealing Council

Cllr Trevor Webb, Leader of the Labour Group, East Sussex County Council

Cllr Sheila Carlson, Leader of the Labour Group, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

Cllr Doug Taylor, Leader of the Council, Enfield Council

Cllr Julie Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Essex County Council

Cllr Mick Henry CBE, Leader of the Council, Gateshead Council

Cllr John Clarke, Leader of the Council, Gedling Borough Council

Cllr Kate Haigh, Leader of the Labour Group, Gloucester City Council

Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Leader of the Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Cllr Brian Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, Gwynedd Council

Mayor Jules Pipe, Executive Mayor, Hackney London Borough Council

Cllr Rob Polhill, Leader of the Council, Halton Council

Cllr Claire Kober, Leader of the Council, Haringey Council

Cllr Thaya Idaikkadar , Leader of the Council, Harrow Council

Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, Leader of the Labour Group, Hartlepool Council

Cllr Jeremy Birch, Leader of the Council, Hastings Borough Council

Cllr Caitlin Bisknell, Leader of the Council,             High Peak Borough Council

Cllr Jagdish Sharma MBE JP,  Leader of the Council, Hounslow Borough Council

Cllr Miles Parkinson, Leader of the Council, Hyndburn Borough Council

Cllr David Ellesmere, Leader of the Council, Ipswich Borough Council

Cllr Geoff Lumley, Leader of the Labour Group, Isle of Wight Council

Cllr Catherine West, Leader of the Council, Islington Council

Cllr Judith Blakeman, Leader of the Labour Group,           Kensington and Chelsea Council

Cllr Mehboob Khan, Leader of the Council, Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of the Council, Lambeth Council

Cllr Mrs Eileen Blamire, Leader of the Council, Lancaster City Council

Sir Peter Soulsby, Executive Mayor, Leicester City Council

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, Executive Mayor,           Lewisham London Borough Council

Cllr Richard Metcalfe, Leader of the Council, Lincoln City Council

Mayor Joe Anderson OBE, Executive Mayor, Liverpool City Council

Cllr Hazel Simmons, Leader of the Council, Luton Borough Council

Sir Richard Leese CBE, Leader of the Council, Manchester City Council

Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of the Labour Group, Medway Council

Cllr Stephen Alambritis, Leader of Merton

Cllr Charles Rooney, Leader of the Labour Group, Middlesbrough Council

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of the Council, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

Cllr Gareth Snell, Leader of the Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme  Council

Sir Robin Wales, Executive Mayor, Newham London Borough Council

Cllr Bob Bright, Leader of the Council, Newport City Council

Cllr Graham Baxter MBE, Leader of the Council, North East Derbyshire Council

Cllr Jim Allan, Leader of the Labour Group, North Tyneside Council

Cllr John McGhee, Leader of the Labour Group, Northamptonshire County Council

Cllr Grant Davey, Leader of the Labour Group, Northumberland Council

Cllr Brenda Arthur, Leader of the Council, Norwich City Council

Cllr Alan Rhodes, Leader of the Labour Group, Nottinghamshire County Council

Cllr Dennis Harvey, Leader of the Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council

Cllr Jim McMahon, Leader of the Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Lady Liz Brighouse OBE, Leader of the Labour Group , Oxfordshire Council

Cllr Nazim Khan MBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Peterborough City Council

Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of the Council, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Jim Patey,  Leader of the Labour Group, Portsmouth City Council

Cllr Mrs Sandra Davies, Leader of the Labour Group, Powys County Council

Cllr Peter Rankin, Leader of the Council, Preston City Council

Cllr Jo Lovelock, Leader of the Council, Reading Borough Council

Cllr Colin Lambert, Leader of the Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Sam Souster, Leader of the Labour Group, Rother District Council

Cllr Chris Roberts, Leader of the Council, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Cllr Dr James Shera MBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Rugby Borough Council

Cllr Keith Dibble, Leader of the Labour Group, Rushmoor Borough Council

Mayor Ian Stewart, Executive Mayor, Salford Council

Cllr Darren Cooper, Leader of the Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Eric Broadbent, Leader of the Labour Group, Scarborough Borough Council

Cllr Mick Lerry, Leader of the Labour Group, Sedgemoor District Council

Cllr Peter Dowd, Leader of the Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Steve Shaw-Wright, Leader of the Labour Group, Selby District Council

Cllr Julie Dore     , Leader of the Council, Sheffield City Council

Cllr Alan Mosley, Leader of the Labour Group, Shropshire Council

Cllr Andy Perkins, Leader, Labour Group, South Gloucestershire Council

Cllr Mark Wilson, Leader of the Labour Group, South Lakeland

Cllr Mrs Eleanor Hards, Leader of the Labour Group, South Oxfordshire Council

Cllr Iain Malcolm, Leader of the Council, South Tyneside Council

Cllr Richard Williams, Leader of the Council, Southampton City Council

Cllr Peter John, Leader of the Council, Southwark Council

Cllr Martin Leach, Leader of the Labour Group, St Albans Council

Cllr Marie Rimmer CBE, Leader of the Council, St Helens Metropolitan Council

Cllr William Kemp, Leader of the Labour Group, Stafford Borough Council

Cllr Kevin Jackson, Leader of the Labour Group, Staffordshire Moorlands  Council

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader of the Council, Stevenage Borough Council

Cllr Mohammed Pervez, Leader of the Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Cllr Sandy Martin, Leader of the Labour Group, Suffolk County Council

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of the Council, Sunderland City Council

Cllr Victor Agarwal, Leader of the Labour Group ,Surrey

Cllr David Phillips, Leader of the Council, Swansea City and County Council

Cllr Jim Grant, Leader of the Labour Group,         Swindon Borough Council

Cllr Kieran Quinn, Leader of the Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Stephen King, Leader of the Labour Group, Three Rivers District Council

Cllr John Kent, Leader of the Council, Thurrock Council

Cllr Peter Box CBE, Leader of the Council,    Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Cllr Tim Oliver, Leader of the Labour Group, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Chris Robbins, Leader of the Council, Waltham Forest London Borough Council

Cllr Rex Osborn, Leader of the Labour Group, Wandsworth London Borough Council

Cllr Terry O'Neill, Leader of the Council, Warrington Council

Cllr John Barrott, Leader of the Labour Group, Warwick District Council

Cllr Tod Sullivan, Leader of the Labour Group, Waveney District Council

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, Westminster City Council

Cllr Kate Wheller, Leader of the Labour Group, Weymouth & Portland  Council

Lord Peter Smith, Leader of the Council, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, Wiltshire Council

Cllr Phillip Davies, Leader of the Council, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Roger Lawrence,       Leader of the Council,    Wolverhampton City Council