Councillor Baber Baz: You are saving a penny now to spend a pound later

Here's Councillor Baz' speech in full:

"I knew that these cuts were going to be drastic, but when I saw them, I was shocked not just by the cruelty of the cuts, but the short sightedness of them too. 

I was also astonished to see a 10% increase on burial fees. It seems that even our dearly departed are having to pay for Labour’s incompetence.  

The burial services are failing all of us, but especially the Muslim and Jewish community. Unnecessary delays in releasing bodies for burial means that grieving families are put through additional stress and worry, unable to respect the religious wishes of loved ones. Shameful. 

By cutting services that support special educational needs children and families in crisis, this council is planning to save a penny now, only to spend a pound later.  

Only this is far more serious than cost cutting. These cuts harm the future generation of our city. This city is already experiencing rising poverty, increasing health inequalities and significantly reduced services.  

Every one of us in this room knows the value and importance of getting a good start in life. Most of us know the importance of a safe space such as a local library, and some have experienced the safety net of food banks or social services support.  

Child poverty has recently increased in our city. One in two children here are in poverty, and a rising number of those children and parents are living in temporary accommodation.  

It was not that long ago that we saw a worrying rise in the number of payday loan companies and in the murky depths lay the loan sharks – waiting to prey on vulnerable families.  

Take away the safety nets and you enable a dark and dangerous marketplace where crime can thrive, and costs can spiral. 

Early intervention saves money. It helps to keep families safe. It supports frontline professionals in difficult and dangerous situations and it helps to keep communities together.  

Hardship funding, mental health support, parenting support, housing help, routes away from abuse or neglect. Just some of the ways that early help can intervene to stop a problem becoming worse. 

Early parenting support for example, can reduce the risks of children entering the foster care system at a later stage. Not only is this financially prudent for a council, but it’s also advantageous for the child and wider family.  

These cuts are so bad, that they will impact children who aren’t even born yet. We have heard before in this chamber about the damaging impact of trauma. Well thanks to this council, the residents of Yardley West and Stechford will feel the trauma of slashed services for many years to come thanks to Birmingham Labour Group. 

I can’t support this. I can’t support a budget that will leave such damaging scars on the lives of our city’s children, so I'll be voting against this budget today. 

Finally I end with a message to the Labour backbenchers you have a vote today that should reflect the opinion of your ward.  

This failure is down to the leadership of this council. They, and they alone, should take the blame."