The ArchBishop of York responds to the CSR

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has responded to the CSR, criticising the withdrawal of funding from communities in need and calling for the Government to end the bank bonus culture. In an article for the Yorkshire Post and The Sun newspapers, he wrote:

“I am not an economist, and I am not a politician, but to cut investment to vital public services, and to withdraw investment from communities, is madness. You do not escape an economic downturn by cutting investment and by squashing aspirations. The Government has signalled for a long time that cuts must be put in place to tackle the economic deficit. The Comprehensive Spending Review is the swinging axe that follows the cuddly blanket and soothing words of "The Big Society"...What many who may face redundancies will not understand is why the banks who caused the credit crunch and the downturn, and had to be bailed out, are giving themselves huge bonuses. When will the Government have the guts to tackle the huge bank bonus culture. This is a gravy train that is running out of control. Urgent action is needed.”