Wales budget: Job losses possible, says council boss

A council boss has said job losses at the local authority are "absolutely" possible as it struggles to balance its books.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan warned reduced services and council tax rises are also on the way.

He said a 35-40% council tax hike would be needed in order to avoid implementing cuts.

Other local authorities across Wales are also struggling.

Speaking to Politics Wales on Sunday, Mr Morgan said the 3.1% increase in the funding from the Welsh government isn't "going to be anywhere near what the pressures on social services, on schools".

"If we had to prop up social services and education- which in my local authority makes up around 70% of the budget- that means things like potholes, libraries and leisure centres, that's the only area you can squeeze money from, or else you end up hiking council tax on at really unaffordable amount.

"That's the only area you can squeeze money from, or else you end up hiking council tax on at really unaffordable amount."

Anglesey council is also "looking at every service" in order to make cuts, its leader Llinos Medi said, adding that the demand on social care, in particular, had risen a great deal since Covid.

"We've seen complexity in children's services, mental health and older people with more acute care," said Ms Medi.

"The children are our future and at the moment we can't give them what they need and that's not a nice place for any of us to be in."

She said she "doesn't blame the public for being annoyed with us" but added that she felt like a "puppet on someone else's string" in relation to the UK government handing down cuts to the Welsh government which in turn passes them on to local authorities.

She said it will be council leaders who have to "face the general public".

Conservative party spokesperson on local government, Sam Rowlands said there was "an abdication of responsibility" by the Welsh government by "pushing responsibility" to councillors to make difficult decisions and find savings.

But he defended the UK government's funding settlement for Wales.

"The Welsh government received a record level of funding again from the UK government in the latest budget and it's up Welsh government how they spend it," he said.

The Welsh government said: "The UK government has not provided an adequate funding settlement for Wales. This means we've had to take some really difficult decisions to radically reshape our budget for 2024-25.  

"We're protecting the core local government settlement providing the 3.1% increase to local authorities, as we promised last year."