Hugh Muir: A New Public Services: Doncaster, Under Peter Davies, Its New Mayor, is Seeing an Extreme Version of 'soft' Cuts

There are many options on how best to spend a shrinking pot of public money. But if one of the goals is preserving fairness, safeguarding cohesion and ensuring that everyone – regardless of background – gets the best chance to thrive, Doncaster provides the perfect example of what not to do.

Since May, Peter Davies has been the south Yorkshire town's elected mayor, representing the English Democrats. He has sought to make "soft" cuts – the kind that make ratepayers feel their money is not being wasted. Here are some of the issues he has targeted: a gay pride event; translation of leaflets into minority languages; funding for Black History Month; jobs of diversity officers; funding of groups that do not specifically serve the majority "indigenous" population.

Davies is an extreme example, but there will be other council leaders who, as the purse strings tighten, are tempted to see expenditure on the services that help disadvantaged groups or aid equality as easy soft cuts.

"The very area we should be strengthening -equality- is under the greatest threat," says Simon Woolley, coordinator of Operation Black Vote. "We get this wrong and those least likely to defend themselves will be readily thrown out of work, and find it most difficult to be re-employed. Furthermore, our inability to close the inequality gap could result in community antagonism, and in some places rising crime."

The decision for policymakers, at local and national level, should not be solely what a service costs, but what it is worth. Not all grants to all minority groups are deserved or well spent; some have squandered the money or have been ineffective. But focus on the bulk of the money spent on community inclusion and cohesion. How much does an area such as, say, Tower Hamlets, east London, benefit from residents who do not have English as a first language being able to participate in the community? How much does London benefit from the £100,000 the Greater London authority grants to the annual gay and lesbian Pride event, in terms of what it says about the capital – let alone the financial gains to bars, shops and restaurants?

A harsh light will shine on spending, and rightly so. But when community services are assessed, let us think of Jagtar Singh Dhindsa, who came to Britain without English as a first language. He benefited from funding– in his case, section 11 money that was channeled towards the education of young people from ethnic minorities and. Today, he is leader of the labor group on Watford borough council and is chair of the National Association of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Councilors. If that doesn't represent best value for him and the wider community, what does?

Hugh Muir is a Guardian journalist

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