COLCHESTER Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Martin Goss has warned the Government’s controversial National Service plan would see more than £1.3million cuts to vital local services.  

The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservative Party’s plans to spend £2.5billion on the scheme would be paid for by slashing backing for local areas through the Shared Prosperity Fund from 2028-29, which funds projects that boost jobs and living standards, improve public services and build pride in local communities. 

Commenting on the SPF figures posted on the UK.Gov website, Martin said: “The Conservative Party has already done so much damage to people’s living standards and public services in so many areas with all their chaos. 

“Now they want to slash funding for local services to pay for their hare-brained plans for a National Service, which are nothing but a desperate distraction from the government’s record of failure on the NHS and economy. 

“If the Conservatives were serious about defending Britain’s security, they would reverse their plans to cut the Army by 10,000 troops.”