Southwark Lib Dems Push Labour Again to Save Vulnerable Services Immediately

The Southwark Liberal Democrats on Monday tabled a budget amendment to save council services for vulnerable young people.

Southwark Labour is proposing to cut its 2022-23 budget for several special educational needs (SEND) and early years services.

However, the Liberal Democrats want to guarantee these services remain and have submitted an amendment that will reverse the cuts immediately by using the council’s own budget.

Council assembly will vote whether to pass the amendment or not on Wednesday evening.

Commenting, Cllr Humaira Ali, the Southwark Liberal Democrat who will propose the amendment, said:

“Labour has a choice on how it spends its budget and to completely cancel the SEN budget for multiple early years support provisions tells those families, who depend on the already limited services for Children with Special Educational Needs, that they are not a priority. Support to young people at the early stages of their life is fundamental to lifelong success; the Liberal Democrat amendment ensures those services remain and shows Labour is not prioritising all young people.”