The government's programme of cuts is at a ‘tipping point', Prospect's president told a meeting in Scotland on 4 February. Nigel Titchen was speaking to Prospect reps from all over Scotland who had gathered in Edinburgh to assess the impact of the recent cuts in the Scottish budget and to build a coherent anti-cuts strategy for branches to follow.

Titchen said that after the Tory-LibDem coalition took office in May 2010 there was a broad majority for its policy of cutting waste, eliminating unnecessary quangos, giving voluntary groups control over services and protecting the front line.

But by January 2011 a majority of 53% in favour of its programme had turned into a majority of 51% who said the government was cutting too deep and too fast. Only 37% of people now thought the cuts were necessary.

That fall in support was before the GDP figures for the UK showed that growth had gone into reverse in the last quarter of 2010. All the evidence was that "these ideologically driven cuts are destroying the recovery rather than helping it," said Titchen.

Current economic policy threatened to plunge the country back into recession and destroy the public sector, the president warned.

He urged the government to adopt a strategy for growth and job creation by stimulating demand and forcing the financial sector to compensate the nation for its role in the recession.

"We must oppose these cuts for the sake of our members and the country. To borrow a phrase from the green movement, we must ‘think nationally and act locally,'” said Titchen.