STROUD Against The Cuts would like to say well done to the Stroud district councillors who have told the Government ‘enough is enough’ and are refusing to hand back more than £500,000 to central government.

Austerity has been going on for seven years, ever since the Conservative Party has been in power.

In the 2010/11 financial year, SDC received a formula grant of £6.55 million from the Government.

This has been cut dramatically since to the point where there will soon be no central government grant at all.

Nationally, local authorities have been handed cuts of over £20 billion since 2010 – central government grants to local councils have fallen by 38 per cent.

This is unfair – it means wealthier areas that can raise more taxation locally are more able to provide for their residents than poorer areas where residents may need more support.

Central government cuts have an impact - in this paper there have been stories recently that the council is planning to end free parking, and that around 20 per cent of the staff at the council may lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, the future of the Sub Rooms is uncertain, and there are rumours about the Museum in the Park too.

Although political parties have important differences, it is good to see that local Labour, Green and Lib Dem district councillors will stand together against central government cuts to our district.

Together councillors from these parties make up the majority of SDC and their cooperation has made this challenge possible.

Stroud Against the Cuts