Councils told to cut millions by press release

Eric Pickles today spelt out the details of the budget cuts faced by every council in the country.

It is part of £1.1 billion needed from town halls for the Osborne/Laws £6.2 billion early cuts.

While the main block grant was untouched, the extra "bits and pieces funding" so loved by Labour is getting the chop.

On average it means a 0.7% cut in revenue - not massive though one council leader told me that the services currenty funded by the £3 million or so they had to cut would be first for the chop.

Mr Pickles made the announcement in a written ministerial statement at 10.30am this morning, just as he began his debut at the despatch box.

I began phoning the big councils in my patch, and with each call the bemusement of the press officers grew.

They had no idea it was coming and were completley in the dark.

One press office boss told me the first details of their budget cuts came in the press release I sent them. The Department for Communities and Local Government missive to their chief exec arrived almost an hour later.

"We might have had a change of government, but the machinary is as incompetent as ever."

Another press officer had apparently never even heard of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

They pay your wages, dear. At least for now.