Labour pulls plug on £9.5 million to Camden's poorest

9.59.00am GMT Thu 28th Feb 2008

Lib Dem Executive Member for Resources Janet Grauberg moved swiftly to guarantee funding for this year and continues to fight for the promised cash over the next three years

Local Lib Dem campaigners Jo Shaw and Ed Fordham have condemned the Labour government for pulling the plug on another £9.5 million in funding for local services. This cash had been earmarked for tackling unemployment and poverty in Camden over the next three years.

The massive cut is a result of mistakes made by central Government in calculating how much money Camden would be given through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund. The error will mean cuts in local services that were previously paid for by the government.

Speaking as the news hit, Jo Shaw said; "This government has failed local residents once again. They have admitted their figures on the vital funds for tackling unemployment and poverty were wrong. So our residents will suffer because of a government that can't add up. Many of our local organisations depend on the Working Neighbourhoods Fund to support their important work.

"If the Labour government really cared about vulnerable people in Camden, they wouldn't be cutting the money that funds such important work."

Ed Fordham said; "This is devastating news. This money was going to fund employment initiatives, small grants, community safety projects and vital youth work in our communities. Now, at the eleventh hour, funding is being pulled as a result of this government's shambolic financial management.

"I'm pleased to hear that the Liberal Democrat-led administration is looking to find £1 million to plug the gap in the short-term. But it won't fix the problem. The government must wake up and smell the coffee - this administrative blunder has real effects for organisations across Camden. It should pay what it originally promised."