ACTIONS speak louder than words when demanding no more cuts in Somerset County Council’s jobs and services, as was implied in Chris Waddilove’s letter in the County Gazette (‘Council Choosing More Cuts Misery’, Postbag, September 13).

However, his Citizens UK local branch surely must recognise the growing big protest over these latest vicious cuts. 

No wonder, when the £26 million proposed cuts, over this year and next, are the tail end of eight years of hard-right Tory government’s ‘austerity’ cutbacks in public spending, now down to taking essential services from really vulnerable citizens and removing up to another 130 valuable council posts. 


READ MORE: LETTER: 'Crocodile tears' over cuts at county council


All because our so-called ‘nasty’ party views cuts in our council services as relatively easy pickings, with councillors reckoned to take little opposing direct action.

Tory (county) council leader, David Fothergill, gives out the same old Tory councillor sob story, along the pathetic lines of there being no alternative to the legal requirement of having to set a balanced budget, thereby enforcing Tory government cuts of ultimate nastiness. 

What nonsense! If, as he said, he had tried everything in lobbying his Westminster Tory mates to give Somerset a fairer deal, and how their latest abandonment had given him sleepless nights, then why on earth did he not fight back with the ultimate direct actions: of either setting an illegal ‘no more cuts’, needs-based budget, or calling upon all councillors to resign? 

Certainly the first action was taken by the controlling Liberal Democrats under Chris Clarke several years ago, albeit unsuccessfully, but today there exists the great difference of Somerset being the administering authority of the newly-formed conglomeration of 23 Somerset and Devon local authorities, known as “Heart of the South West” (including all 17 main councils).

Cllr Fothergill could make history by using his leadership skills and prowess to try and get every one of them to follow Somerset into the fight-back fires of needs-based budgets and/or mass resignations.

The publicity aroused would be enormous and the impact on central government very decisive in laying down the ‘no more cuts’ gauntlet for all Tories to truly witness in their coming Birmingham national conference and the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget. 

It’s risky, yes, but Somerset could win through and surely it must be tried as our last defence, not just for our local council services to survive, but for all councils everywhere!

ALAN DEBENHAM
Taunton