By Ian Duncan

Last updated at 12:33, Saturday, 02 February 2013

A 2,000-signature petition against council cuts has been handed over ahead of a crucial budget meeting.

Brent Kennedy, front, with, from left, Daniel and Gill Thorburn and Grahame Higginson

It was organised by members of Carlisle Socialist Party and was presented at the offices of Cumbria County Council yesterday.

Brent Kennedy, the party secretary, said the county-wide petition was against the planned cuts to public services and jobs by the county council.

He added that the Save Our Services petition called on elected councillors to refuse to carry out the Government’s attacks on services which working class and middle class people relied upon.

“Instead they should demand that the Government covers the deficit by collecting the £120 billion tax dodged by the rich and big business,” he said.

Mr Kennedy said that leaders of several large councils had warned that the severe annual budget cuts would soon lead to all services – except the statutory social services and bin collections – being lost forever.

He added: “Instead of passively passing this Tory policy on to local communities, socialists believe that if councillors revolted and passed budgets based on people’s needs, and demanded the Government make the bankers pay up, they could force a U-turn.”

The petition will be discussed at the council’s annual budget-setting meeting of the council on Thursday, February 14.

First published at 11:14, Saturday, 02 February 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk