David Cameron's aunt Clare Currie writes to warn him about 'grave error' of cuts

Asked if her nephew, the Prime Minister, had responded, Clare Currie says 'oh yes'

David Cameron promises sweeping changes to end the ‘scandalous failure’ on reoffending rates (Getty)

David Cameron’s aunt has written to the Prime Minister, warning her nephew that he is making a “grave error” cutting government funding for social services.

Clare Currie attended a rally in Oxford on Saturday to protest plans to close down 44 children’s centres across Oxfordshire, and she appeared again at a demonstration on Tuesday ahead of a council meeting to vote on the cuts.

Speaking to BBC Oxford, Ms Currie agreed that it was “central government that is cutting the money”, and said she had written to Mr Cameron and received a response.

She said: “I think these services, which the county council says it can no longer afford, are vital for people’s wellbeing. I think if they are cut, an awful lot of families and old people and homeless… these people’s lives will be diminished.”

It had previously been reported that Mr Cameron himself wrote to the Oxfordshire County Council leader to bemoan the loss of the children’s services – prompting accusations of hypocrisy and political interference from Tory councillors.

And Ms Currie said: “He is against the children’s centres cutting, which is what I wrote to him about. But you are right, it is central government that is cutting the money, and I think they are making a grave error.”

Last week it emerged that both Mrs Currie and the Prime Minister's mother signed a petition linked to the demonstration at the weekend.

Mary Cameron, a retired magistrate, admitted her name appeared on the petition to the Mirror but said she didn’t “want to discuss this any further”.

Labour mocked the Prime Minister as the “leader of the anti-austerity movement in Oxfordshire” after leaked documents revealed Mr Cameron wrote to his local council protesting against cuts in his area. The letter, which was sent to the council leader Ian Hudspeth, hit out at the cuts to libraries, early day centres and museums.

In his letter, Mr Cameron wrote: “I was disappointed at the long list of suggestions floated to make significant cuts to frontline services… I would have hoped that Oxfordshire would instead be following the best practice of Conservative councils from across the country in making back-office savings and protecting the frontline.”