Tory Mayor Propped up by Labour Passes High-Risk Budget Despite Warnings

Liberal Democrat councillors have sounded alarm bells about the high-risk budget that was agreed at the Council’s budget meeting on 5 February 2025. Labour Councillors propped up the Conservative Mayor by joining with Conservative councillors in backing his budget.

The Council’s Chief Finance Officer warned in her report that:

In the event that budget pressures cannot be contained in 2024/2025 and 2025/26 it is likely that the financial position would be unsustainable.

Liberal Democrats called on councillors to heed these warnings in setting the Budget.

Cllr Michael Headley, Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson, said, “This meeting was a pivotal test for the Council.  Would councillors listen to the warnings and respond by changing the direction the council has been taking for the last couple of years?  Unfortunately, Labour and Conservative councillors pressed on regardless and voted through the high-risk budget that continues the wasteful spending spree, financed by a 5% Council Tax rise and a soaring debt mountain.”

“We tried to bring back some common sense to the budget, but the Tory Mayor and Labour and Conservative councillors voted down our amendment, preferring to spend money on Town Twinning jollies rather than keeping emergency Telecare free for residents and preferring to increase the Communications Department’s budget rather than protecting library services.”  

“At the same time, the Conservative and Labour debt plans were voted through that would see external loans reach £155m, up from the £60m they inherited.  More debt means more interest payments and less available for vital services.  And many of these vital services, like Adult Social Care for the elderly, have been starved of investment in this budget.  This is alarming as it brings with it the prospect of the budget falling apart as soon as it makes contact with reality - pushing the council into a desperate financial situation that it will be extremely painful to recover from.”

“The Tory Mayor and his administration are the authors of this sorry state. They have wasted money on buying overpriced buildings and refurbishing the Oasis then announcing its closure. They have burnt through millions in reserves and now are having to quickly flog off council-owned properties without proper scrutiny of the decision. Ultimately, they have taken a council with strong reserves and low levels of debt to the position that reserve levels are critical and debt has piled up.”