News from Brighton and Hove Labour

Conservatives cut Sure Start by £600,000 in Brighton and Hove

In the latest budget proposed by the Conservatives in charge of Brighton and Hove, they plan to cut nearly £1 million from local toddlers, young people and training programmes.

The vicious cuts to services will affect Connexions, home to school transport and a £600,000 cut to the Sure Start children centres.

Leader of the Labour Group and Opposition, Councillor Gill Mitchell said:

“It would seem that this budget is an attack on services for children and young people in the City; from toddlers to young adults.

“It is appalling that the Conservatives are cutting £600,000 from Sure Start children’s centres which provide a vital universal service that families from all backgrounds use. Adding to this they are axing £100’s of thousands from children’s services for tackling youth crime and assisting young people in finding jobs, training and education.

“The Conservatives like to maintain that Britain is broken. By implementing these cuts they will make that myth a reality.”

Connexions is a service that provides a one-stop-shop of information and advice on careers, training, health and housing for 13-19 year olds which will face a cut of £200,000 from the Conservatives from the £2.2 million given by the government. The Labour Group will be proposing amendments to reverse and off-set the cuts that affect young people in the City, looking to protect Connexions services, home to school transport and allow for continued youth work.

Nancy Platts, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, added:

“Before I went into politics I worked at the Daycare Trust, the national childcare campaign, and I campaigned hard for a Sure Start children’s centre in every community. To see this vision become a reality is what politics is all about. Labour has delivered on the ground for families and children and that’s why I’m standing to be a Labour MP.

“Nationally, the Conservatives want to cut £200m from the Sure Start budget – that means one in five children’s centres, just like the one in Fiveways, would have to close their doors.”