Public sector cuts – the truth

Thousands of publicly funded services across Britain are about to be lost, with devastating consequences

The Guardian, Friday 25 March 2011

Sally Pattison with her daughters Rebecca, and Leigh-Anna. She says Hull’s Little Stars centre has been a lifeline.
A week today the cuts will start to bite. As the financial year ends, grants will run out, contracts will wind up, and charities and services will begin to shut their doors. After months of anxiety about the impact of the cuts, the consequences of the government’s rapid deficit reduction programme will begin to be real.

The Guardian gives a slice of what this will mean across the country, highlighting a cross-section of 50 services that will shrink or cease to exist from the end of this month. Most are unglamorous, obscure, unfeted projects, staffed by employees who are not very well paid, but hugely committed to what they do. All of these losses come as a result of the government’s decision to cut spending by £95bn over five years.