Too cut-throat

Aug 12 2010 Buckinghamshire Examiner

WITH spending cuts totalling £9.2million in the current financial year, people in Bucks are bound to be concerned that they will be adversely affected.

In one way or another, everyone will feel the pinch. Cabinet members who say they must act fast should do so with extreme care. Even at the very highest level, decisions can be made too quickly under pressure, and those making them may not fully take into account the diverse needs of a community.

This must be avoided.

While the cuts include unnecessary bureaucracy such as postage, which for too long have gone unnoticed by local authorities - until this government's new era of austerity - they will also affect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities: domestic violence victims, children in care and young adults leaving the care system.

It is a councillor's duty to represent everyone, especially those who are unable to speak out for themselves.

It is paramount their views and needs are also heard and addressed.