Chris Huhne under fire over cuts stance

Under fire: Chris Huhne
12 April 2012

Cabinet minister Chris Huhne has been branded "opportunistic" by a senior Conservative councillor after attacking the planned closure of children's centres in his Hampshire constituency.

The Energy Secretary blamed Tory-led Hampshire County Council for the threat to the future of the centres, insisting that authorities run by his Liberal Democrat party were making it a priority to keep them open.

Hampshire's council leader, Conservative Ken Thornber, retorted that he would "expect more" from a member of the coalition Cabinet, insisting that cuts have been forced upon the authority by reductions in Government grants.

The row is a foretaste of tensions to be expected as the Conservative and Lib Dem partners in the coalition face up to one another in council and devolved assembly elections across the country on May 5.

Mr Huhne has signed a petition to save Sure Start children's centres in his constituency of Eastleigh.

And he told Channel 4 News that threatened closures were down to political choices made by Conservative councillors, saying: "If a council decides it wants to prioritise repairing the roads rather than saving Sure Start, that is their values and their priorities, but it so happens that Liberal Democrat councils don't do that."

Cllr Thornber told the programme: "Chris Huhne is opportunistic... I expect more from a Secretary of State in a coalition Government."

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted earlier this month that there was no reason for councils to shut down Sure Start centres, telling MPs: "The money for Sure Start is there, so centres don't have to close."

But a report by Daycare Trust and 4Children predicted earlier this year that as many as 250 of the 3,500 centres in England may be forced to shut their doors.

And Cllr Thornber said: "I have to inform the Prime Minister with great respect, that the cuts that we have had in terms of specific grant cuts have meant some very difficult decisions.

"The amount of money then left was very much less and that included children's centres."

Mr Huhne said any closures were down to councillors' choices: "They prefer to have a nice office block for the councillors who are running Hampshire County Council, rather than to provide essential services for kids.

"I don't think that's opportunistic. I think that shows that we have got values and the Conservatives in Winchester don't."

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