15 March (Part 2) - Round 2 of the Budget grandstand
You would think that after spending
best part of an hour denouncing Labour
and their budget plans the Tory sheep would do what is expected of them and
simply nod their own proposals through. Well yes they did but first there is the
serious business of grandstanding to get on with.
First out of the traps was Councillor John Davey (Conservative, West Heath)
and he immediately rounded on the opposition for their housing policy. “I thought we had some
highly
professional Housing Associations in Bexley and they don’t seem to be aware of this”
and Council Tax “rockets” under Labour, just look at Sadiq Khan. “He has raised
his precept by 43% while Boris cut it. Labour has no idea.”
Councillor Caroline Newton (Conservative, East Wickham) welcomed the “balanced prudent plan which residents should support in May”.
She too castigated the London Mayor for his 8·8% tax raid and “his ULEZ proposals which
were not mentioned in his manifesto”.
Councillor Daniel Francis (Labour, Belvedere) said that last year the
Conservatives “made extensive budget cuts which have had a real impact on
services. They slashed staff numbers and claim there has been no impact on
services and now claim to be budgetary heroes. If it is such a good news story,
why are they still unable to reveal staff numbers to Councillors?”
“The question has been asked repeatedly since last July but still no answer. It
is a budget that fully accepts to using one-off grants to balance the books with
no certainty as to how the gaps can be plugged next year.” That is not
“investment” as claimed. Children’s Services and Education are both cut. “It is
double-speak.” On grass cutting we have agreed to pay
more for services which are in the original contract.
Councillor Melvin Seymour (Conservative, Crayford) praised the new recycling
contract and the £400,000 spend on road repairs this year. He thanked “the Dick
Turpin Mayor of London” for raising taxes and charges in the month before an election.
Councillor Eileen Pallen (Conservative, Bexleyheath) spent three minutes relating a number of
little anecdotes that had no relevance whatsoever to the budget but was applauded nevertheless.
Labour Councillor Nicola Taylor (Erith) said that the Conservatives were causing
a cost of living crisis with their 54% energy price increase, National Insurance
tax hike, the fuel price crisis and cuts to Universal Credit. “Our residents are squeezed in the middle”.
“You claim to work in partnership with housing providers but you do not work in
partnership with those who come to us for help. Private landlords are not the answer.
For our residents, in debt, no housing, reliant on food banks, this is a bread and water budget.”
Councillor O’Hare (Conservative, Blendon and Penhill) said he was “proud” to support the budget and to be double jabbed and boosted.
“The Labour Mayor cancelled our Thames crossings while pillaging our pockets providing less, less, less.”
Councillor Richard Diment (Conservative, Sidcup) said that budgeting is never easy “but this budget looks right”.
He too referred to Sadiq Khan raising his precept by 43% in five years
while Bexley’s levy has increased by slightly less than that in 16. (True.)
“This budget will make Bexley even better.” (Doubtful.)
Councillor Howard Jackson (Conservative, Barnehurst) took much the same view.
(Sadiq Khan is such an easy target.) “And Council houses are not what our residents want.”
Councillor Brian Bishop (Conservative, Barnehurst) went down the same road with
a little bit of Labour bashing along the way. Councillor Peter Reader (West
Heath) accepted that his speech largely repeated what has already been said - but without the Labour bashing.
Councillor Christine Catterall (East Wickham; well you have heard it all before.
Stefano Borella (Labour Leader) said it was surprising that Conservatives are very willing to talk about the Mayor of
London’s budget but less so their own. The May election will be a verdict on
this Council’s cuts programme and this Council has opposed every Amendment in support
of affordable housing. He took Councillor Taylor’s line with the cost of living crisis and reminded
everyone that it was Labour that put Bexley at the top of London’s recycling
league in 2005 and in the 1990s it was the Conservatives who put up Council Tax by 41%
over two years (as opposed to Labour’s 40% in four).
Stefano attacked an easy target too by ridiculing the claim that cutting
staff numbers by 304 had no effect on services. “To claim that this is an investment budget is a nonsense.”
For Councillor Sybil Camsey’s (Conservative, Crook Log) contribution
please refer to Eileen Pallen’s speech. Interesting maybe but irrelevant to the budget debate.
Council Leader O’Neill said that ְ“once again the budget delivers for our residents”
and took the obligatory swipe at Labour. She accused Councillor Francis of not sending her a
promised email and an ill-tempered high decibel Mayor
claiming to be acting on legal advice would not allow him to protest the
allegation. Councillor Francis almost immediately posted the email to Twitter (see below) to prove her wrong yet again.
As yet the Leader has not posted an apology.
The sheep voted unanimously for their budget.
