THE NEW chairman of Ceredigion council has urged councillors to fight against further funding cuts to the authority.

Dai Mason, who was sworn in as the new chairman of the council at a meeting on Thursday, 20 May, warned that the council is facing a difficult time with the likelihood that funding for the council will be slashed even further after a number of cuts in recent years.

But Cllr Mason, who represents the Trefeurig ward, insisted that while councillors should work with council staff to find a way to protect services, they should also be battling to protect Ceredigion from further cuts, after the council has been one of the authorities in Wales that has seen the highest cuts in funding.

He said: “We are being forced to reduce our services as a consequence of the huge cuts we face. It will be a challenging time for Ceredigion and we must ask where the money we as a council deserve, has gone.

“We must be ready to fight against these cuts and say enough is enough. We must be willing to protect our services."

Cllr Mason’s rallying cry was backed by council leader Ellen ap Gwynn, who said that since 2012 the council has seen its budget cut by 26 per cent - £33m - which has led to the council losing 275 staff members, plus a further 70 jobs in the education sector.

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