Story & photos: Julia Shergold
On Saturday 15th April around 20 local residents lobbied Councillor Jackie Drayton’s surgery at Burngreave Library in protest at the huge cuts to local services.
On Spital Hill passers-by signed petitions against the cuts, while protesters held placards reading “£8m for Thatcher’s funeral – nothing for our kids”, “Money for banks but not for playgrounds” along with the newly re-painted “Save our Adventure Playground” banner.
The petition called for local councillors to vote against the cuts and defend the services that Burngreave needs. At the end of her surgery, Jackie Drayton came out to address the lobby. She was asked to sign the petition, to support the growing national organisation of Councillors Against The Cuts and to pledge to vote against cuts in the Council’s budget. There was a heated discussion about the effect of cuts on people’s lives.
Following the event Jackie Drayton, who is the cabinet member for Children and Young People as well as a local Councillor, told the Messenger:
“The government cuts are causing considerable damage to public services in Sheffield which are affecting the poorest and most vulnerable in our city. As much as we oppose the cuts, as a Council we are legally obliged to provide a balanced budget. If we refused to set a budget the government would send in non-elected civil servants to do it for us, without taking into account local priorities or them being accountable to local people.”
Burngreave Against the Cuts intends to carry on fighting the cuts to local services and to campaign against the bedroom tax.
Find out more about Burngreave Against the Cuts at:
Burngreave Against the Cuts on Facebook
Or email BurngreaveAgainstTheCuts@gmail.com