Sunday 14 July 2013

Save Our Community Chest

Pressure is mounting over Labour's awful decision to suspend the fund and reviewing Tynedale and Ponteland's (West Area) allocation. It has indicated it would not be seeking to reduce the overall monies in the County Fund - but instead cut the West's allocation in favour of the South East.


The current funding arrangement is part of a long standing cross party agreement which has saw the fund divided equally across all areas of the County.

What Labour seem to be proposing to do is an absolutely outrage move. It is sad that they are looking to cut funding in the West to shift extra funds to the South East, but to hit our voluntary and community groups in this political way is beyond shameful. 


Labour did really badly in Tynedale at May's elections, winning just 2 seats out of 17. Just after the election I challenged Labour to ensure that Tynedale would still gets its fair share of resources for the Labour run council. At the time new council leader Cllr Grant Davey said "It’s about the needs of the people, and, yes, Tynedale will get its share."

It seems it was deliberate that Cllr Davey missed out the word fair.

The story was covered in the Journal this week (see HERE), and on the front page of the Hexham Courant this week.