Pickles branded a hypocrite after attacking council cuts

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has criticised Birmingham City Council after they announced they would have to fire nearly 200 wardens. But that’s after he and the coalition oversaw a 40% cut to the road safety budget since 2010.

The council announced it would make almost 200 lollipop people redundant to help save £338 million by 2018 (adding to the £462 million worth of cuts it’s already made).

Pickles attacked this move, saying it would “scare the bejesus out of people”, arguing  “This wouldn’t save much money at all, but it is indicative of some of the problems Birmingham City Council has. They are very happy to deal with the little things because they are easy, but it is more difficult, and would save a lot more money, for the council to get to grips with some of its contracts, procurement and sourcing.”

Yet town hall chiefs pointed out the reason they’re forced to cut the jobs of so many lollipop people is because government policy requires them to make savings and they don’t have any more assets they can sell off.