Moray 'in denial' over cuts, says leader
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SAVINGS identified so far have “little more than dented the surface” of £30 million in budget cuts, Moray Council Leader Allan Wright has warned.
And he claims too many people are in denial about the reality of the financial crisis and believe the council has exaggerated the scale of the problem.
Councillor Wright told ‘The Northern Scot’: “A lot of them are in denial about the £30 million and feel the real figure will be about £15 million, which it is not. That’s an old trick but I promise it is not one we are engaging in here.”
A new cross party think tank, known as the Area Basing Review, will meet for the first time next week.
It will meet every week between now and July 4 when a longer-term plan, identifying the complete package of savings, will be presented to all 26 councillors.
Councillor Wright insisted theadministration has not been scaremongering over the scale of the savings necessary, and has been stung by some of the criticism.
“There is a great deal of misinformation portrayed one way or another around certain issues. When people are in denial and whatever you say to them they refuse to believe, thatbecomes frustrating.”
“Some times you take the most criticism because it is the best co-ordinated and strongest lobby. I have no problem with that but I am never entirely persuaded by the theory that the louder you shout the more you will be paid attention to.
“You just have to get on with it. I am pretty resilient; you have to be in this business. Some times it gets to me,” he added.
“The pressures are inescapable and what concerns me slightly is that after the most comprehensive consultation exercise we have ever undertaken; a consultation exercise that has been recognised throughout Scotland as the most comprehensive ever undertaken, we still don’t seem to be getting through to a lot of people, pressure groups and the general public, that we are not scaremongering here.
Full story in Northern Scot print version.
