This is Eric Pickles….

He is the man behind the biggest and most damaging cuts to council budgets ever to affect the community, voluntary sector and youth services funding. A 43% real terms cut in council funding in five years means entire services are being wiped out.

Submit a question to Pickles via Twitter

We think it’s time to put pressure on Pickles, and he’s given us a good opportunity to do it. On Monday 9 December, the Communities and Local Government Committee will hold an oral evidence session with Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. MPs on the committee want to hear what questions you would put to Mr Pickles.

Don’t hold back, whether you are a service user or a worker in the sector, now’s the time to have your say:

Submit your question via Twitter, by adding the hashtag #AskPickles to your tweet before 11pm on Wednesday 4 December. Use personal stories of how the cuts are hurting you.

Here are a few sample questions to help you out:

1. Eric where do the homeless go when councils slash supporting people funding? #AskPickles
2. Eric how can councils slash funding for advice services just at the time when people are most in need? #AskPickles
3. Eric who supports our young people when councils no longer have the money to fund non statutory services such as youth services? #AskPickles
4. Eric what will you do for 82 year old Joan Parker? Evicted from hospital with no council sheltered home to go to? #AskPickles
5. Eric why are many northern, urban areas suffering much bigger cuts – more than 5x per head then those in the south? #AskPickles
6. Eric what will you do for Oxfordshire’s children who face losing 38 of their 44 children’s centres? #AskPickles
7. Eric how far is too far? Is it our elderly left without proper care? Or libraries, youth clubs, & sure start  centres shut? #AskPickles
8. Eric what will our councils look like in 2015?  After a 43% real terms funding cut? #AskPickles
9. Eric why do half a million local government workers earn less than the living wage? #AskPickles
10. Eric how do councils provide such services as home to school transport when their budgets are being axed? #AskPickles

Remember to submit your question before 11pm on Wednesday 4 December and add the hashtag #AskPickles to any tweet you send – don’t forget to retweet as many times as possible.

Many thanks,

Sally

Sally Kosky
Unite for Our Society