WITHOUT exception, all political parties on Devon County Council agree that the Government has failed by a long margin to provide enough core funding to protect vital public services in the county in 2002/3.

That shortfall is massive — a staggering £40-million and this in a region which is the Cinderella of England when it comes to receiving Central Government support for our public services.

Every person in the South West has £126 less spent on their services through Government funding than the average for England — that's £617-million lost across the whole region.

Just think of the difference that would make to elderly people in need of adequate care provision or how that could transform a wide range of public services we all want to see providing decent standards.

The need for those services is out-stripping council resources and is way above the rate of inflation.

All parties on the county council are working together and with other councils, organisations and voluntary groups to fight for a better deal for the people of the South West. We are determined that campaign will continue.

In the meantime, we all agree, albeit reluctantly, that the only way public services can be safeguarded is by increasing the Council Tax. Here, in Devon, we're proposing a 9.5 per cent rise and that looks to be about the average for local authorities across the country.

That's 18 pence a day for our schools, our care services, roads, street lighting, transport, libraries, flood defences, fire service and consumer protection, among others.

Nevertheless, it gives me no pleasure to draft a budget fully aware that successive Governments have been pursuing a deliberate policy of shifting the cost of funding these services from national to local taxation.

I and my colleagues in all parties understand the impact this is having on people on low incomes. But therein lies the dilemma, because these are also the very people who often depend most on council services.

In stark contrast, Devon MP and Government Minister Ben Bradshaw says Devon County Council has received 'inflation busting' funding for public services.

But he neglects to say that the Government's financial strategy for funding council services is entirely dependent on Council Tax increasing. In other words, the funding is only inflation-busting if we all pay for it locally!

He neglects to say that the actual hard cash the Government provides directly to support services in Devon has only risen by 1.9 per cent.

Mr Bradshaw is out of step with senior Government Ministers such as Stephen Byers who recognises the current funding system isn't working - that's why the Government is scrapping it next year and we wait with baited breath to see its replacement.

There is real, genuine consensus across the political party lines in Devon County Council. There is a commitment to do all we can to help safeguard services to the communities we're accountable to and find local solutions to local problems.

Our message to Whitehall should be, if you want decent local services then get behind local government.

Cllr Christine Channon

Deputy chairman of the Executive Committee

Devon County Council