Councils in the most deprived areas of England have been hardest hit by cuts to their funding, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has said. Austerity cuts have not been applied equally since 2010, with local authorities in the poorest areas seeing the biggest reductions. The MPs warned further cuts could undermine councils' financial stability and threaten statutory services.
Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge MP, said: 'These cuts have not hit all local authorities equally, with reductions ranging between 5% and 40%. Councils with the greatest spending needs - the most deprived authorities - have been receiving the largest reductions'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31012671
#HMD2015 Today, International Holocaust Memorial Day, is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. Angela Rayner, UNISON's North West Regional Convenor, reports on a recent union study trip and states that 'there is no better way to understand the true nature of the Nazi genocide than to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, and no better way to honour its victims, at a time when the far right is a growing political force across Europe, than stepping up our fight against fascism and racism in all of its forms'
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-478a-Inside-the-factory-of-genocide#.VMdIOiRFC1t
Yesterday, the Observer presaged the outcome of the Greek general election - a victory for the anti-austerity Syriza coalition - with an emphatic statement that 'the lesson of the Greek national polls is that austerity must end' Nobody would have expected David Cameron to heed that advice and his statement last night that 'the Greek election will increase uncertainty across Europe. That's why the UK must stick to our plan, delivering security at home' is consistent with his callous disregard of the impact of austerity on local jobs and services. But will Labour listen?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/25/observer-view-on-greek-elections
