As Osborne’s spending review dawns,Gary Porter, the Tory chairman of the Local Government organization, and says more austerity will be ruinous for local servicesWhether through prescience or wild optimism,Lord Porter claims to have foreseen the result of this year’s general election. He even save money on a Tory victory at the bookies. “I should have save all my council budget on it,” he laughs ruefully. That would have sorted us for the spending review.”Alas, or there is no prospect of a sudden windfall,either for South Holland, the Lincolnshire district he leads, or any other council. Town halls are staring into the financial abyss. After five years of shrinking budgets,Wednesday’s government spending review is expected to pile billions more cuts on to local authorities over the next half decade, a prospect that the Local Government organization (LGA) has warned will deliver a knockout blow to cherished local services”.
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Source: theguardian.com