Cllr Robert Alden, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, has slammed the Labour-run City Council for losing control of the City Council’s finances in just six months. Cllr Alden's comments are in response to the announcement of wide ranging cuts in next year’s City Council Budget Consultation.
Cllr Alden said, “The Labour run City Council admitted yesterday that they have already lost control of the City Council’s finances. They have announced that they are expecting this year to be £30 – 40 Million overspent. At the start of the financial year independent officers of the Council suggested this would be no more than £2-3 million. Clearly therefore we are seeing what the cost of just one year of a Labour Council is - overspending by £30 million or more. Labour have totally failed to control the budget this year”.
Cllr Alden went onto to defend the Government’s investment in Birmingham, urging Labour to stop passing the buck. He said, “Birmingham receives per a head of population £646.52, this compares to the average for unitary authorities of £358. Only two core cities receive more funding per a head of population.
“Rather than attacking the Government the Labour Council need to take reasonability for the budget they do control. By spending that wisely, within budget then the Council will in a stronger position to be able to lever in more funding.”
Cllr Alden added, “the Labour run Council now claim that the public are supportive of Council tax rises yet at the election they spent money up and down the city, donated by Trade Unions, to claim that they will not put up the Council tax if elected. Within six months they have now made it clear Council Tax will go up. They promised residents they would not make cuts, now they are saying their cuts will be deeper than what had gone before. Residents will rightly be asking if Labour misled us then, what are they misleading us over now?”