On Wednesday evening the 5th of March, as expected, Lambeth Councillors, following Cabinet orders, voted to cut £1m from the library services at the Council Budget meeting.  A deputation was delivered to the Council before the vote by Ruth Cashman on behalf of Unison and Laura Swaffield (pictured) on behalf of the Friends of Lambeth Libraries.   The Council promises no closures and affirms its commitment to the library service, but it is unclear how they intend to implement these cuts. Cutting the book budget by £100K and "efficiencies", such as a freeze on hiring staff and cutting overtime, unwelcome as they are do not add up to £1m.

Local Press coverage:

South London libraries take £1m hit as council slashes budget despite outcry, Robert Firth, South London News, 7 March

Authors and illustrators sign open letter condemning Lambeth over library cuts: “A library should never  just be a room of books without staff, with old books without a stock budget”…News from Crystal Palace, 7 March

“Labour councillors applaud” as they rubberstamp £99 million of savings and cuts which Lambeth council leader Holland says “are all decisions made by our Labour council and with our Labour values at their heart”, News from Crystal Palace, 6 March

In other news:

Lambeth’s financial crisis deepens: Auditors deliver scathing verdict on Labour’s mismanagement, Jason Cobb, Brixton Buzz, 7 March

Political row as auditors warn South London council over ‘challenging financial situation - Opposition politicians have accused the council of financial mismanagement, Robert Firth, South London News, 5 March