Mike Barker welcomes Cabinet Climbdown

12.00.00am GMT Tue 9th Feb 2010

Last week, Mike Barker visited the Darlington Storysacks and Toy Library from which the Labour Cabinet's budget proposals would have withdrawn financial support. Mike was delighted to learn from the Echo this morning, therefore, that the Council has announced it will in fact continue to support the excellent work carried out by the charity.

The advice Fred Lawson and Mike Barker were able to give them was helpful in achieving this result. Sadly, the Labour Party's Parliamentary Candidate supported the Cabinet's original proposal to withdraw funding.

It really makes you wonder why the Cabinet ever thought it would be a good idea to lose this service, just to save a relatively small sum of money. Did they ever really intend to force it to close?

The charity will be supported for another year, to give it time to find alternative sources of funding.

This afternoon Mike received this email from Storysacks:

"On behalf of the Trustees of Darlington Storysacks and Toy Resources charity I would like to say a very big thank you for the interest you have shown and the support you have given us. We were delighted to read the brilliant news in the Northern Echo. We are still waiting to hear from a DBC spokesperson giving us details but expect we will hear soon."

and this from a Storysacks supporter:

"Also good news about Storysacks funding thanks for advice you gave to Jane."