BURY Council have brought out the big guns in the battle over council cuts.

Shadow Environment secretary Frank Dobson has spoken out over Bury's plight after meeting council leader John Byrne and would-be Bury South MP Ivan Lewis at the Labour Local Government Conference in Nottingham at the weekend.

This week Mr Dobson said: "Ivan Lewis and John Byrne told me of the serious concern and anger in Bury at the Government-imposed budget cuts. I believe the people of Bury have a right to know what will be different if a Labour Government is elected at the General Election.

"In the first year of a Labour Government, there will be a "root and branch" review of the arrangement which divides up funding between local authorities in time for the 1998/99 settlement for councils.

"The current system is a fiddle which favours Tory Westminster and treats Bury and other local authorities unfairly."

Mr Dobson said Labour would also spend to reduce infant class sizes, abolish nursery vouchers and release funds raised by sales of council houses.

"I now challenge David Sumberg and Alistair Burt to repeat their message that the election of a Labour Government will make no difference to the future of Bury," said Mr Dobson.

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