Birmingham Local Conservatives today condemned the utter shambles at Birmingham City Council, where Labour’s budget meeting was forced to adjourn after they admitted they lacked the votes to pass their own proposals.
After years of financial mismanagement that led to effective bankruptcy, sky-high council tax hikes, service cuts, and ongoing bin strikes, Labour’s fragile grip on power has finally unravelled in the chamber. With defections, resignations, and absences shrinking their majority, the ruling group could not muster sufficient support for their tax-raising, service-slashing budget, leaving the city’s finances in limbo and residents facing further uncertainty.
Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, said:
Today’s adjournment is a damning indictment of Labour’s incompetence. They have spent weeks desperately shifting meeting times at the last minute to avoid defeat, only to admit in open session they don’t have the numbers. This is not leadership – it’s chaos.
Birmingham deserves better than a failing administration that can’t even get its own budget over the line. After bankrupting the city and letting services crumble, Labour has lost the confidence of councillors and the public alike.
Local Conservatives stand ready to deliver the change Birmingham needs: lower taxes, cleaner streets, reliable services, and an end to the excuses. The people of this great city have had enough of Labour failure – it’s time to clean up the council and clean up our streets.
Cllr Ewan Mackey (Con, Sutton Roughley), Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, said:
Only the Local Conservatives have a plan to clean up the city and balance the books. A vote for anyone else just risks letting Labour back in.