Conservative councillors accused of creating 'do it yourself' district

West Berkshire Council members urged to volunteer to help fill gaps made by cuts

CONSERVATIVE councillors who last week voted through £10m-worth of cuts to public services across West Berkshire have been accused of creating a “do it yourself” district, after suggesting the gap in funding should be filled by volunteers.

Newbury and West Berkshire Labour Party chairman Gary Puffett (pictured) has since challenged the councillors to fill the roles themselves to help the affected groups.

The Labour group says that it will be writing to all the Conservative councillors behind the cuts, asking which of the reduced services they would prefer to help on a regular basis.

The councillors will also be asked whether they will be prepared to donate their 16.5 per cent allowance increase to any of the groups, including four children’s centres and the West Berkshire Mencap charity, which lost much or all of their funding.

The challenge follows letters and comments from Conservative councillors that volunteers and self-help would have to replace the money, which was axed from the budget last week, with a second round of cuts to come.

Councillor Richard Crumly said in a letter to the Newbury Weekly News on February 18, the council should look to the voluntary sector for help and requested that “local people be generous in providing financial support to local organisations”.

Mr Puffett said: “We saw a great deal of remorse from Conservative councillors during the meeting in which they cut £10m from the budget and complained it was the Government’s fault.

“Volunteering in this way will give them an opportunity to demonstrate they really do regret having to impose extra burdens on the most vulnerable in Newbury and West Berkshire, while doing some good at the same time.

“They and their colleagues in the Conservative Party are creating a Do It Yourself Council, and some have been simply callous in suggesting that charities should use their reserves, or implying volunteers who already do such good work should simply do more.

“We want them to feel what their cuts, and couldn’t-care-less attitude means to people who are the most vulnerable, and most affected by their onerous policy.

“Volunteering will give them a chance to make some sort of an apology to their constituents and ‘do the right thing’ as David Cameron would say.”