Political row over 'thousands of Lambeth Council job losses' (From Streatham Guardian)

Political row over 'thousands of Lambeth Council job losses'

7:20am Thursday 29th July 2010

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A political row has erupted over the number of town hall jobs that could be lost in the next few years.

A senior council source revealed to the Streatham Guardian last week that 2,000 Lambeth Council staff could lose their jobs as Government funding for councils is slashed.

But councillor Paul McGlone, Lambeth’s cabinet member for finance, denied this was possible, as it represented half of the jobs at the town hall.

But John Whelan, leader of the Conservative group in the council, contacted the Streatham Guardian this week stating, in his conversations with senior officers, he was advised the council was working on a best-case scenario of 1,700 town hall jobs and a worst-case scenario of 2,100 lost by the end of 2013-14.

It is believed large numbers of job cuts could come as a result of sharing services with other councils – which could see entire departments, such as payroll, merge with Southwark and Lewisham councils.

Coun Whelan said it was disingenuous for Coun McGlone to deny the high levels of job losses at the town hall predicted by officers based on a £62m loss of funding in the next three financial years.

But Coun McGlone accused Coun Whelan of “extrapolating” figures, based on the higher numbers of people indirectly employed by the council, including contractor staff and teachers and other school staff in a total job pool of about 12,000 people.

More will be known about the funding reductions in the autumn, when the Government publishes another spending review.

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