Saturday, October 09, 2010

It's Grim Down Sarf: SERTUC Cuts Watch

SERTUC (South Eastern Region Trade Union Congress) are publishing a monthly guide to the cuts facing our region.  There has been concern that some people think that the "cuts" will only impact on "the North".  When in reality:-

- "The highest change in long-term youth unemployment in UK is in Medway in the South East - up 158% compared to next highest West Lothian up 120%, with Wandsworth in London the 6th highest increase, and Peterborough in the East of England in 13th place (out of 231 authorities)

- Lewisham and Hackney in London have the highest claimant to jobs ratios in the UK, with 7 other London boroughs in the top 20 (out of 206) Many of the authorities with the highest percentage of public sector jobs are in the SERTUC region, including Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury and Hastings at over 40%, and 45 others above the national average of 26.9%

- 20 of the 62 authorities to already receive a larger than average cut to their grant allocation for 2010 were in the SERTUC region

- 500,000 people in the South East sub-region live in areas that rank within the 20% most deprived in the country

- the South East England Development Agency estimated (in August 2010) 100,000 job losses following the public sector cuts (74,000 public sector, 26,000 consequent private sector losses)-

- London has the second highest unemployment rate at 9.3% (North East 9.4%)".

By coincidence I got an email from the Fabians (I am a member) inviting me to a Policy Network meeting on Monday called "Southern Discomfort Again" about the failure of Labour to attract support in the South of England during the last election.

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