'Short-sighted' budget puts Cornish jobs at risk – Morning Star

The Morning Star newspaper has covered the recent council tax budget vote / debacle, under the above heading. It was as follows:

Cornwall Council's "fag packet" budget puts services for the vulnerable and hundreds of jobs at risk, Unison warned today.

The union's regional organiser Stuart Roden slammed Tory and Lib Dem councillors for backtracking on "a sensible and realistic budget which would have protected front-line services" at last week's council meeting.

He said the decision to hand residents a council tax freeze at the expense of around 135 jobs and public services was down to "party political interference and blatant electioneering."

Opposition Mebyon Kernow Councillor Dick Cole called the budget "short-sighted" when the council faces a funding cut of £546 million over four years.

Unison also criticised the "rushed" decision by leaders of Cornwall Council to sell off IT services and transfer staff to BT.

Mr Roden said: "These type of deals have failed up and down the country. Most have ended in acrimony, contractual dispute and failure."