9 March (Part 1) - Who’s a Wonka?
Following the Leader and her Deputy’s
speech in favour of the new budget and
the consequent raid on residents’ bank accounts Stefano Borella (Labour Leader) put forward his
alternative which the Mayor confirmed had been fully costed by the Director of Finance.
The Labour Leader praised the help provided to him by the Finance Directorate followed by…
• Real terms cut in Bexley to funds by the Conservative Government of 66%.
• Bexley is one of the select group of boroughs with average Council Tax above £2,000 a year.
• Mortgage payments are up.
• Shop prices are still rising.
• The tax burden is at a 70 year high with 25 rises since the last election.
• The average family is £1,200 a year worse off under the Tories.
• The overspend in Bexley in 2023/24 will be around £9·3 million and the reserves will be raided again.
• If overspends are not curtailed the reserves will be raided again in the coming year.
• There will be a significant budget gap for 2025/26 which will have to be planned for next July. (Children’s and Adults’ Social Care being named as the culprit.)
• The recent SEND report is “appalling and an indictment of the political leadership of this Council. A dereliction of duty” and the Council denied there was a problem.
• Liz Truss cost us £60 million and many Bexley Conservatives supported her.
• Municipal bankruptcy is a real possibility.
• The Conservatives no longer claim to be keeping Council Tax low because they know it is a promise they cannot keep. CT has gone up by 40%. (†)
• The Leader has failed to get a Fair Funding Review despite being a leading Member of the Conservative Group at the LGA, London Councils and in the House of Lords.
• Conservative Chancellors promised to fix the roof when the sun was shining but instead they smashed the windows, broke the door down and then burned the whole edifice.
Nothing about what was in
the Budget Amendment but that was because it was on paper for the benefit of Councillors and not available to web viewers.
Councillor Asunramu (Thamesmead East) seconded but not before spending a
moment on International Women’s Day and Ramadan.
• Local Government has been severely underfunded by Government.
• Families are pushed into destitution.
• Many Councils are on the brink of bankruptcy.
• Children’s And Adults’ Services are in a dire state.
• Overspends are astronomical.
• SEND has widespread systemic failings and “we were not surprised” and the party
opposite is responsible because of their failure to pre[pare for the inspection. “It is shameful and a travesty.”
No reference to any money being diverted to housing. Without the Amendment before me it is
not suprpring that this web viewer did not know what Councillors were talking about later.
Council Leader O’Neill declined the opportunity to comment on the Amendment but Cabinet Member Munur was less reticent. He likened the Amendment to
the Willy Wonka experience
in Glasgow. “A lot of hype and building up of expectations only to find you have come to visit an empty warehouse”.
† No idea where Stefano got that figure from. Compared to your CT bill when the Conservatives took over, April will see it up by 63%.