'Agenda of change is needed' says Kent County Council leader Roger Gough
It's ahead of the government's budget on Wednesday.
The leader of the Kent County Council has told us an 'agenda of change' is needed, if they are to escape their 'tough' financial situation.
Ahead of the government's budget on Wednesday, we've been speaking to Roger Gough about what the KCC needs to see from Rachael Reeves.
It comes with the local authority needing to save £81 million over the next year and £144 million of the next two years.
Rodger Gough told us what needs to be focussed on, he said: "Whilst it's clearly important we get adequate support now, what is really needed is an agenda of change in some of the key areas such as adult social care, children's social services and the SEND transport.
"All of these are areas where arguably national policy has been deeply flawed and those are the areas of really big spending pressure for us and if that isn't addressed over time then really we aren't going to get out of the situation we are in at the moment.
"If we stick with what we have got at the moment, then we will continue with the same results we have at the moment, which is spending under really severe upward pressure.
"Currently two third of our budget goes on adult social care, children's service and SEND transport and if they continue to be under upward pressure then all the other areas of the council will continue to sustain services."
When asked about the cuts Kent County Council have made over the past year, Roger Gough said: "I think it's a case of change more than cuts. I mean you can argue about the terminology but it's certainly the case that we need to deliver large scale savings in areas such as adult social care.
"Now some of that will involve some of the difficult decision we have taken but it will also involved changing the way we do things."