THE leader of the Tory group on Thurrock Council has accused the Labour-led council of “salamislicing” after it was announced at least 200 jobs would go.

The job cuts were announced at a council cabinet meeting by Labour council leader John Kent.

He admitted the cuts – part of a £37million three year saving plan – were “unpalatable”, but said they were necessary because Whitehall was not giving the borough enough money.

However, his Tory counterpart, Rob Gledhill was quick to blame the job losses on the council’s own policies, which he said said were “pouring money into services the taxpayer didn’t even need”.

He said: “We have been calling for the Labour-run council to prioritise spending taxpayers’ money on the things it has to do, the things it is expected to do and on things it doesn’t have to do, but would help improve the borough.

“However, Labour continues to ‘salami-slice’ budgets, cutting services and jobs, then blaming the Government.”

Earlier, Mr Kent said: “Here in Britain we are constantly being told by the Government the recession is over. It certainly doesn’t feel like that to the local councils who are being squeezed harder and harder. The less money we get, the less we can spend.”

In the past two years about 200 council jobs have gone, reducing the workforce to about 1,400.