Blame game begins on spending review

WARRINGTON South MP David Mowat was swift to comment on the Coalition Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review – and swift to blame Labour.
He said: “These cuts are Labour’s cuts.”
The Tory MP said the cuts were not pleasant, were tough and would hurt. But he said they were also fair.
“Two parties are putting aside their previous differences to come together and clean up the complete mess created by Labour”
He said Chancellor George Osborne’s plans would eliminate the UK’s £150bn deficit by 2015.
The review included money for the Mersey Gateway project as well as protecting money for schools, NHS and security. The Government had also set aside a £1.5 billion package to compensate Equitable Life policyholders. The spending on unprotected departments would be cut by 19 per cent – one per cent lower than proposed by Labour.
Mr Mowat said: “We are spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour’s debt – money that goes to foreign creditors to help pay for their schools and hospitals rather than our own. These cuts are Labour’s cuts.
“Not only are Labour are still disgracefully refusing to apologise for the carnage they left behind, they have absolutely no plans whatsoever to reduce the deficit.”
Warrington North MP Helen Jones, however, attacked the review and claimed the Government was ordinary people and the vulnerable pay for the actions of “millionaire bankers.”
The Labour MP said: “Of course we need to bring down the deficit, but not at the expense of hundreds of thousands of jobs and essential public services. These cuts could well see growth stifled and the deficit actually increase over time. By cutting too far too soon, the Tories risk making the deficit worse.
“The cuts to police spending will clearly mean that there are fewer police officers on the streets protecting our communities.
“This cut is so bad that the former Chief Constable of Cheshire and now Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Peter Fahy, said that the cuts will affect front-line policing and there is ‘no question’ there will be fewer police officers after four years.
“It is truly sad to see the tremendous work that Labour did to reduce crime and increase the number of police officers patrolling our streets being undone by this Coalition Government.”
Cheshire Police were also quick to respond to the review.
Police Authority chairman Margaret Ollerenshaw said Cheshire Police were a relatively low cost force delivering a good service meeting the needs of the public.
The force had been planning on making £6.7 million savings this year, cutting some police staff jobs. The programme agreed was likely to result in a reduction of 170 jobs.
But it would be late autumn before the force knew how much it would have to save to meet Home Office targets over the next four years and early New Year before a clear picture emerged.
She added: “The challenge that the Authority faces is to achieve the savings whilst still maintaining the level of public service that people in Cheshire have come to expect from a very successful police force.
“We will be asking the public to support Cheshire Police and the Authority in making some of the very difficult financial decisions that will be required in order to balance our budgets.”
Pictured: David Mowat and Helen Jones