COUNCILLORS must choose their battles when fighting against cuts to services, according to Stroud District Council chief-exec David Hagg. The implications of last month's emergency budget were laid out at the SDC meeting on Thursday, July 22, with Mr Hagg outlining the 95 actions that directly concern local government. He also highlighted how local authorities would have to taken on £1.6 billion of the £6bn immediate savings that the government are looking to find by January 2011. With the Coalition government’s agenda to move political decisions away from Whitehall and give greater freedom to local authorities, they have abolished numerous quangos, boards and agencies. It is believed that by giving local authorities this power, it will keep them more accountable to the electorate. Mr Hagg suggested that councillors would have to find out what is important to the public as they did with Stroud Maternity Hospital, with the council needing to deliver cuts and efficiency savings.
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