Emergency help, Foodbank Xtra, housing the homeless, keeping buses running, controlling outbreaks, and much more has cost MK Council and the country extra during COVID. Income from businesses, parking charges and more people needing to claim benefit discounts so the council is under pressure. It will all have to be paid for eventually, probably in higher taxes or cuts in services. Councils face the most uncertain budgets ever over the next few years.

The Lib Dems want to protect services for our children, like nurseries and children’s centres, and also help for the homelessness, hardships grants and return to work training. We interviewed Robin Bradburn, Lib Dem spokesperson for finance, who said. “This year, the Government has frozen Council funding, but the Government has given us no idea what funding we might get in future years, and have said they want to reduce it, so we’re having to look at every service. We’ll make cuts to the office admin, but some services are likely to be cut too, so what would YOU protect? Leisure centres and libraries, grass cutting and street cleaning, or public transport? Could we charge more for garden waste collection or parking in CMK?” Tell us what’s important to you.

Have your say on what should be protected overleaf, by completing our survey at www.tinyurl.com/mkldbudget.