Young People Feel The Razor Of Government Cuts
Cuts, cuts and more cuts. That's all the government seems to be talking about today, but what does this actually mean for us? TheSprout went along to a Q & A with the deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at City Hall to find out more.
Nick Clegg opened up the Q & A with a question.
“Should we deal with the deficit?”
The Welsh budget will be cut by £162.5m as a part of £6.2bn spending reductions, to tackle the UK's deficit.
While no one denies that sacrifices are inevitable, many people demonstrated fears, that so much cutting, so swiftly could have drastic consequences.
Comfortably, Clegg told us: “You’ve got to do something about it.”
We sat and listened meanwhile Spain and Greece, who are also experiencing severe government cuts due to the economic crisis, are responding with general strikes and countrywide shut downs.
Yet Clegg confidently reassured the hall that the carrot was not being completely withdrawn and gave the new Pupil Premium scheme as an example of additional funding for schools and disadvantaged children.
“Pupil Premium we’re not cutting that.”
Most importantly people wanted to feel that their minorities weren’t going to be unfairly targeted.
Arielle editor of theSprout spoke up for young people.
“If young people have the right to be heard are you going to consult with any of them about the organisations and services they will lose because of these cuts?”
Nick Clegg responded:
“The government are launching a nation wide consultation asking people where they think the cuts will be most affective.”
To make savings and cuts in the right places, consulting the people concerned is necessary. Despite this one Sprout member said:
“He didn’t even mention young people in his response.”
At the moment the Young peoples learning agency is under review and Training and development agency for schools is under review. Who will be next to get the snip?
No one seemed worried about the front line services too much, more those unseen organisations, which are there as sources of information, support, social interaction and provide relief for young people from strains during these difficult times. What would the world be like without theSprout or our local youth groups?
Who will be next to get the snip?
At the 20 October spending review we will learn more about where the axe is likely to fall.
Do we feel better now that Nick Clegg has answered our questions?
Soon to follow, an interview with Jon House the chief executive of Cardiff Council.
IMAGE: The Prime Minister's Office
More on this story:
Sprout User Holds Nick Clegg To Account
3 Comments – Post a comment
Michelle Davies
Commented 68 months ago - 1st October 2010 - 18:07pm
If only he had answered them!
Tom_Bevan
Commented 68 months ago - 5th October 2010 - 16:13pm
I love how the lib dems are now oh-so tory
gutted if you voted for them!
emb789
Commented 68 months ago - 11th October 2010 - 21:31pm
If anyone, and I mean ANYONE tries to cut theSprout's or CLIC's funding, I will write many mildly annoyed letters to them and their leaders, because theSprout/CLIC has been one of the best things I've been involved with EVER.