The chickens have come home to roost

Another meeting of Full Council, and another night of depressing cuts to services and jobs. It was almost midnight when we left Southport Town Hall.


Labour leader, Cllr Peter Dowd, said he was going to play to the gallery - and he was true to his word. There was mock indignation from Labour councillors, which one disillusioned trade unionist and Labour member at the last meeting, called a 'pantomime'. Nevertheless it drew applause and cheers from protesters. The lowest point came with a political stunt that brought shame on every Labour member.


Sefton Labour Party are bringing false hope to residents by encouraging them to believe that services can be maintained, that jobs need not be lost. They should take notice of their own former Treasury Minister, Liam Byrne, who left a note for his LibDem Coalition successor which read: 'There's no cash left.'

There were a couple of pale silver linings. Despite media speculation, school crossing patrols will not be affected, and there will now be a thorough review of the 'Sure Start' service before any centres are considered for closure.


LibDem leader Tony Robertson repeated again and again that with £44 million pounds to be saved this financial year - there was no money spare. With a national debt of almost £1.1 TRILLION, we can't bury our heads in the sand or we will end up like Greece and Ireland.


The last government made promises they couldn't keep, and bribed voters with seemingly endless amounts of borrowed cash.


The chickens have come home to roost. And we're all paying the price.