Hardly an uplifting start to the week, but we can become inured to this relentless assault. It’s necessary to keep being aware and angry.

Thanks to Jack Menzies and Adam Muirhead for the links.

Calls to support under-threat youth services in Dorset

A PORTLAND councillor has criticised plans to cut youth services in Dorset.

Weymouth and Portland Borough councillor for Tophill West, Cllr Penny McCartney has thrown her support behind the work that youth services do in the area.

Cllr McCartney has accused the council of damaging the futures of young people.

She said: “Dorset County Council are naive if they think that cutting this service will save money, the knowledge and expertise these staff have are irreplaceable, the council is damaging the futures of young people.

“They need one-to-one advice, that is the early intervention, do we feel that private companies can do better? Do we think that a phone helpline is a viable alternative? I hope not.”

We’ll go bust in two years – stark warning about the state of the Brighton’s finances issued

The outgoing Greens are evidently to blame.

The city council must face up to unpopular and difficult cuts or faces “going bust within two years”.

The stark warning by children, young people and skills committee chairman Tom Bewick comes as he unveiled details of looming budget cuts to children’s services.

The controversial plans to make 30 per cent budget savings of £13.5 million from children’s services in the next four years are:

-Children centres to be cut from 12 to seven

-Reducing the number of council-run special needs schools from six to three

– Three council run nurseries to be transferred to private or voluntary sector

– The end of the council-run youth service

– Cutting funding for the free Playbus with trained children’s playworkers.

Labour Councillor Bewick, a former government advisor, blamed “immoral” cuts from a Conservative government and a “head in the sand” approach from the previous Green administration for the financial black hole the council now found itself in.