COUNCIL leaders hit back at claims they have “got it in for Dudley” during a debate on spending cuts.

Councillor David Blood, Dudley Cabinet member for finance, claimed the previous government was responsible for financial problems which mean the authority needs to cut spending by £22m during the next financial year.

At a meeting of the Cabinet, councillors discussed plans to save £35m and cut the authority’s workforce by 800 over three years to cope with massive reductions in grants from Westminster.

Labour cllr, Pete Lowe, said: “There are going to be people concerned with regard to the position Dudley Council is in financially.

“Central government could have made alternative provisions, people are asking why have the Tories got it in for Dudley Council?”

Cllr Blood dismissed the comments, saying: “We have not got it in for the people of Dudley, the previous Labour government certainly did with what they did for the nation.”

Council leader, Anne Millward, told the meeting she remembered being a council employee during the recession of the early 90s and added she found it “heartbreaking” that other authorities were “shedding thousands of jobs”.

Cllr Millward said: “We have to manage this very carefully, it is very important we look after our staff and look at different options.”

Cllr Adrian Turner, cabinet member for personnel, stressed changes to hours or part-time working could help reduce costs and council bosses would look “sympathetically” on requests for changes from employees.

Cllr Turner added: “The country is maxed out and we are starting to bite the bullet.”

More details on where costs will be cut will emerge over the coming weeks before a full council meeting on Monday, March 7 to vote on the 2011/12 budget.