A proposed council tax rise of 2.5 per cent, combined with job losses and cuts to frontline services were announced on 6 January by Warwickshire County Council. This was the first draft of next year’s budget, the final draft is expected in February.
Kyly Wilson, Coventry and Warwickshire Youth Fight for Jobs
Details of the proposed job losses have not been published, though the fire service is expected to be hit hard.
Service cuts include scrapping subsidised bus fares for post-16 college students.
Support for children leaving care would also be either cut or stopped, along with cutting all funds for the schools music service.
When young people are struggling to find employment, making it harder for them to access education will result in yet higher unemployment.
Business leaders are bemoaning the lack of skills amongst young people, so the government needs to be improving education, rather than making young people pay for the crisis in public funding.
Trade unionists, young people and the local community need to come together to fight the county council cuts.
Coventry Socialist Party and Youth Fight for Jobs will be working to make this happen.