• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
8 June, 2023
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Brighton

The Tories crashed the economy and the public pay the price

by Frank le Duc
Tuesday Nov 22, 22 at 12:01AM
A A
3
Queen’s Park candidate spotlight

Councillor Amanda Evans

In councils the length and breadth of the country, regardless of their political persuasion, the last week or so has been all about the autumn statement.

After 12 years of economic mismanagement and austerity cuts that have harmed so many, the disastrous Kwarteng/Truss mini budget sent the UK economy spiralling into a further £30 billion black hole, which Jeremy Hunt was tasked with hauling us all out of.

So, we waited with bated breath to hear his proposals, most of us with no real expectation that yet another in the long line of terrible Tory chancellors would have any new ideas, and many leaks suggesting we would be in line for Austerity 2.0 on steroids.

And then we spent a day or two poring over the detail, trying to digest what it might mean locally and finding that, yes, that’s pretty much what we got.

Hunt confirmed that we were in recession and likely to be so for some time and continued to blame everything and everyone else – led by favourite scapegoats Russia and the pandemic – for our economic woes.

Not that covid and the terrible situation in Ukraine haven’t had an economic impact worldwide, of course.

But it is telling that despite that despite that, we are the only country in the G7 with an economy smaller than before the pandemic, and the one with worst financial forecast over the next two years.

Labour is in no doubt that the terrible shape our economy is in was made right here at home, by the Conservatives – they crashed the economy, but it’s all of us being made to pay for it.

On the council, already dealing with funding losses of over £100 million per year in real terms since 2010, swingeing increases in fuel costs and overall inflation were punching holes in our budget plans even before Kwarteng’s catastrophic interventions and got exponentially worse after.

So, we really needed the Chancellor to pull some financial rabbits out of his hat to keep essential services going, as well as help our many residents struggling to heat, eat or survive the current crisis.

The only possible salvation is the Local Government Finance Settlement 2022 that is due next month, which we all now move on to waiting for.

If that turns out to contain a miraculous Conservative about-turn on austerity, it could transform things – but I won’t be holding my breath.

Councillor Amanda Evans is the deputy leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Comments 3

  1. Mike Beasley says:
    7 months ago

    In local news, the Greens waste hundreds of thousands of pounds on unwanted dogma driven vanity projects, supported by Labour (Momentum)

    Reply
  2. Clayton says:
    7 months ago

    Opinion piece or not it’s nice to see an article free of political bias. 🙄

    Reply
  3. chris says:
    7 months ago

    Ho Ho Ho – and a pandemic followed by a former socialist in russia invading his neighbour have no part to play in this ?

    BTW the council has more than made up the UNIVERSAL funding cuts with parking fees.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Sinkhole opens up in The Lanes

Large blaze breaks out in Brighton

Brighton car park can be turned into floodlit all-weather football pitches

Coffee shop chain to open today at A27 roadside site

Modern classrooms to replace old huts at college in Brighton

Lewes Road blaze thought to be arson

Two Brighton schools look likely to merge

With reluctance, we had to cancel Brighton Carnival, says council chief

Stanmer Park £7m restoration complete

CCTV in bus assault investigation released

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
Glastonwick festival review

Glastonwick festival review

8 June 2023
Millie Manders & The Shutup announce Brighton gig as part of UK tour

Millie Manders & The Shutup announce Brighton gig as part of UK tour

7 June 2023
Brighton Carnival cancelled

Brighton Carnival cancelled

4 June 2023
Bad news: SLANT call it a day. Good news: SLANT announce farewell gig

Bad news: SLANT call it a day. Good news: SLANT announce farewell gig

3 June 2023
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Brighton and Hove Albion’s World Cup-winning midfielder joins Liverpool

Brighton and Hove Albion’s World Cup-winning midfielder joins Liverpool

by Frank le Duc
8 June 2023
1

Brighton and Hove Albion have sold their World Cup-winning Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool as widely expected. The...

Southern Vipers thrash Thunder by eight wickets at Hove

Southern Vipers book their place in T20 finals day

by Sarah Booker-Lewis - local democracy reporter
7 June 2023
0

Southern Vipers secured their place in the Charlotte Edwards Cup finals day with a dominant five-wicket T20 win over the...

Overflow car park could become all-weather football pitches

Brighton car park can be turned into floodlit all-weather football pitches

by Sarah Booker-Lewis - local democracy reporter
7 June 2023
2

An overflow car park can be turned into floodlit all-weather football pitches after councillors voted unanimously in favour of the...

We have an awful lot of work to do, says Sussex coach

We have an awful lot of work to do, says Sussex coach

by Alex Smith
6 June 2023
0

Sussex Sharks head coach Paul Farbrace delivered a hard-hitting critique after his side’s latest defeat in the T20 Blast. After...

Load More
November 2022
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  
« Oct   Dec »
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and culture
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.