COUNCIL funding for Christmas, Eid, Chanukah, St Patrick's Day and International Women's Day will be axed in Brent.

Cash for St George's Day is also for the chop, as is money for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) month, Navratri and the festive lights.

Only bonfire night and Holocaust Memorial Day will remain in their current form, while Diwali will have £25,000 slashed from its £97,000 pot and Respect and Countryside Day will be combined into a single Brent Festival.

The changes will strip £231,000 from Brent Council's budget, but Councillor Ann John, leader of the authority, said “most of the festivals being cut will take place anyway” with money from other sources.

Lib Dems have accused Labour of wanting to “cancel Christmas” but Cllr John hit back saying the authority has no alternative.

She said: “It is preposterous that the local Lib Dems try to criticise. What are we supposed to do, take meals and wheels away from elderly people? Stop safeguarding our children?

“What we have tried to do is keep some of the things that people find valuable and that stretch across communities.

“Diwali in Ealing Road will remain. That's now a regional event and it's obviously very important to retain that. It's not just for the Hindu community, everybody enjoys that now.”

She said Eid did not rely on council money and told the Harrow Times she hoped businesses would help pay for festive lights.

She said the council is currently facing £37m of budget cuts and will have to strip out £100m of spending over four years.

The council has already cut 350 posts in recent years and is preparing to cut another 350, Cllr John said.

Councillor Daniel Brown, the Lib Dem spokesman for environment and public services, said: “Labour want to cancel Christmas, as well as many other festivals across Brent.

“I’m sure they’ll try and blame reductions in funding, but will fail to mention these have been by the Labour Government’s mismanagement of the economy. “I’d really urge residents and community groups who take part in these wonderful events, which bring together so many parts of our community, to make sure they let Labour know their views on slashing the funding.”

The consultation starts on January 31 and runs until April 18.