Labour Refuse to Reverse £600,000 Library Cuts

York’s Liberal Democrats have condemned Labour councillors after they voted against a Lib Dem budget amendment which would have reversed a £600,000 cut to the city’s library service.

The cuts were first announced two years ago but no credible savings plan has been revealed to date.

Liberal Democrats say the libraries cut has become “the elephant in the budget”, symbolic of an administration that announces headline-grabbing savings without the groundwork having been done to deliver them.

The £600,000 reduction was introduced with fanfare, despite warnings at the time that it lacked a clear plan. Internal Audit has since assessed “significant weakness” in this and other savings plans.

Liberal Democrat councillors say the libraries cut is symbol of how the Labour administration has been run, with no appreciation of legal process, no assessment of risk, no consideration of deliverability and a lack of respect towards key partners.

Instead, they say, there has been “bluff and bluster” and the expectation that others should simply fall in line.

Labour Leader Claire Douglas previously told councillors to “get on board or get out of the way.” Liberal Democrats say such rhetoric may sound decisive, but it carries little legal or financial weight when savings plans conflict with a valid contract Explore holds with the Council.

They argue that the failure to properly scope, risk-assess and lawfully implement savings is financially reckless.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Group Leader of York Liberal Democrats said:

“Two years on, this £600,000 cut has delivered nothing except uncertainty for library users and volunteers.

“Internal Audit has warned of significant weaknesses. That should have been the moment to pause, reflect and change course. Instead, Labour doubled down and voted against reversing their own flawed plan.

“Libraries are not a luxury. They are lifelines for families, older residents, jobseekers and young people. You cannot simply announce a saving of this scale without a credible, lawful and deliverable plan behind it.

“The Prime Minister has made a number of U-turns in recent months, Labour in York should change course given their failure to follow through with this saving two years on.

“Good leadership is about recognising mistakes and correcting them, not digging in and hoping the problem goes away.”