Councils have been forced to defend their cash reserves after yet another attack from communities secretary Eric Pickles. Mr Pickles conceded that 'everyone appreciates the need for a financial umbrella for those rainy days' but tore into councils for amassing £19bn in reserves. He suggested councils could tap into reserves to ensure they can 'protect frontline services and keep council tax down for hard-working people'. Mr Pickles said: 'Councils can also look at using reserves to pay for the short-term costs of restructuring their management structures to save millions in the long-run.'
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