Liberal Democrats call for Labour to come clean over library cuts

York‘s Liberal Democrats have called for Labour to provide come clean over their planned cuts to York’s library services.

The Council budget papers released last week reveal that a £600,000 cut in library provision, representing a nearly 20% cut in the overall budget, is set to happen this year - but no information has yet been published on where those cuts will fall.

Last year over 3,000 residents signed the Lib Dem's petition opposing the cut. 

Councillor Paula Widdowson said:

“At a time when every other Council in England made cuts to their libraries, York under the Liberal Democrats managed to maintain and expand our library provision.

“Between 2019 and 2023, a new community library was delivered for Haxby & Wigginton, investment had been approved for Acomb library and this year we have seen the Clifton Library project completed.

“In contrast, at the first opportunity, Labour are hell bent on slashing York’s flagship library provision by almost 20% of its entire budget.

“One year on from this decision there is still no certainty at what the cut in funding will look like. Library closures, staff redundancies, the mobile library ceasing it’s operations – all of these are up in the air. 

“Any such closures will mean that our communities will be left without library services that they rely on. More than that, vulnerable residents who do not have access to a computer at home will be digitally excluded, and those unable to afford heating in the winter will have nowhere to go to keep warm. This cut would directly impact some of the most vulnerable in our city and will leave residents without access to vital community facilities.

“We need clarity from Labour as to exactly which libraries are at risk of closure if they press ahead with their callous funding cut.”