County council Labour group leader, Liz Brighthouse said: ‘This letter is high-handed and arrogant and shows clearly that David Cameron does not understand Oxfordshire’s finances.
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He suggested cuts in back office functions instead and offered to set up meeting with the No 10 policy unit.
“And that is the problem here… which is why we would like a ruling form Sir Jeremy Heywood as to whether this was a breach of the ministerial code”. “David_Cameron_clashes_with_council_over_cuts_to_frontline_services” target=”_blank”>in a letter leaked to the local newspaper that the council should “move cautiously in setting out its budget plans” and that the government had not yet announced how much the council would receive in central government grants next year.
Hudspeth also pointed out that he “worked hard to assist you in achieving a Conservative majority”.
The prime minister was accused by the Conservative council leader of drawing up an inaccurate analysis of cuts to local services, misunderstanding its level of efficiency savings and underestimating its attempts to slash back-room spending.
Mr Cameron is the MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, an area covered by Oxfordshire County Council.
Shadow minister without portfolio Jon Ashworth said the code requires ministers to “keep separate their roles” in government and as constituency members.
He said the leader of Mr Cameron’s constituency county council “should not be given preferential treatment”, and asked whether similar offers have been made to all the leaders of other councils.
“It feels like a breach and I hope the Cabinet Secretary will look into it”.
In the letter, Cameron extended an offer of how to help to manage the cuts, saying he would be happy to “initiate a dialogue” with the No 10 policy unit about the possibilities of devolution deals and suggesting that Hudspeth contact his aide, Sheridan Westlake, who used to work in the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The council leader said that the local authority had also reduced its staffing levels by 3,000 people since 2010.
He accused Hudspeth’s briefing note (where proposed cuts were outlined) of misusing data, claiming that the alleged £204m council budget reduction was in fact a cumulative figure including efficiency savings from cutting waste – and that in reality Oxfordshire’s spending had increased.
The council leader added that he couldn’t accept Cameron’s ‘description of a drop in funding of £72m or 37% as a “slight fall”.
“But what he can’t do and what ministers can’t do is use their ministerial office to advantage their own ministerial area”.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the Guardian: “I’m backing David Cameron on this one.
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David_Cameron_clashes_with_council_over_cuts_to_frontline_services/”>sent in September and leaked to the Oxford Mail, the prime minister strongly criticised the Conservative-run council for failing to find “more creative” ways of saving money such as “making back office savings and protecting the frontline”.
