Madam,

A reasonable attitude to the cuts in Gwynedd has now surely emerged.

We doubt the need for such cuts. They are part of an austerity programme that we know is pure Tory ideology, unnecessary, destructive and cruel. Plaid pretends to be radical in Westminster but implements cuts here in Gwynedd in a thoroughly reactionary way.The complexity and opacity of the council’s survey accords with the fact that ultimately Plaid has decided to keep the final decisions for its councillors who dominate the council. Sadly neither the Plaid AM nor the Plaid MP have criticised the Plaid Gwynedd Council for their poor consultative procedure nor for their not coming out clearly against widespread and complete closures of some services and facilities. We, the public, are right to tell Gwynedd how its cuts can best be made, so causing as little damage as possible.The principle we support is that the worst-off should not suffer.

Some budgets should not be cut at all, for example homelessness support.This suggests a department by department approach.Nonetheless, the impact on communities is vital to consider.

Some communities are far worse off than others. They should again be left untouched in services and facilities.It seems a good rule of thumb not to close or stop entirely any facility or service in any com-munity. Once a service is ended, a facility closed, starting up again can be impossibly difficult.Some service in each locality could and must meet the severest needs.

So instead of closures, there should be reductions at worst, and protection of the most needy.

The SOS Gwynedd proposal is five per cent cuts in total but different percentages, department by department, depending on their budget, ie to what extent it helps the very worst off, are preferable.In those departments pruned hardest, every effort should be made to ensure that cuts fall lightly if at all in the most deprived areas and that, at worst, reduced services survive in all communities.

Yours, Dr Ian MacIntyre,Prospective Labour Party AM candidate for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, 7 Arthog Terrace,Arthog.