Protest against Birmingham City Council cuts

Dozens of people took part in a protest against cuts by Birmingham City Council.

The authority effectively declared bankruptcy in September by issuing a Section 114 notice before signing off on £300m of cuts and a 21% rise in council tax over two years.

The rally in Victoria Square involved Brum Rise Up – a coalition including trade unions, service users and citizens, brought together by campaign group Adunarea Populară.

The Labor council said that given the “huge financial challenge” it had “no choice but to take these decisions” but was doing “everything it can to protect those who need our help the most”. .

Wendy Collymore’s 95-year-old father suffers from dementia and attends Fairway Day Centre, which is at risk of closure.

“I’m saying to Birmingham City Council, ‘Think about the future,'” she told the BBC.

“Because if you close these day care centers today, in 20 years, when they’re needed again, you won’t be able to afford to build new buildings.

“Reinvest in the ones we have today.”

After the day center service was reviewed, cabinet member for health and social care Rob Pocock said they were valued but “are falling in frequency and need to provide more flexible and responsive support to citizens”.

He added proposals for the service, “as well as making savings, (are)…to develop a more flexible, person-centred offering that reflects our key outcomes”.

The council was committed to making sure no one would lose their job or lose their jobs, Mr Pocock said.

Kate Taylor, from Brum Rise Up, said the group was calling on the government to “reconsider the way they fund local authorities”.

The council and central government have blamed each other for the authority’s predicament.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Despite the impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine, we have stuck to the plan, supporting councils with £4.5bn of extra funding this year, helping them deliver services quality premises for residents”.

Labour’s shadow minister for local government, Jim McMahon, said a Labor government would demand “a lot of local government, but in return we will bring stability and greater certainty”.

The Lib Dems said they would support local government and review the burdens and costs councils have had.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said she would ensure local government gets a £5bn a year boost.

Reform UK did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

Additional reporting by Andrew Dawkins