7 March (Part 1) - The word according to Saint Teresa
This is what Council Leader Teresa O’Neil had to say about the budget on Wednesday.
• Bexley Council has successfully managed their meagre finances through challenging times.
• Residents have been put first.
• We have lived within our means.
• When corrective action was required it was done.
• It is statutorily required that the budget is balanced and it is.
• Bexley has not had to apply for exceptional support like Barnet, Croydon,
Haringey, Havering, Lambeth and Newham.
• When monitoring budgets no data is used until we are sure of its validity.
Planning is an iterative process.
• Contrary to Labour’s claim, Bexley did not apply for a Capitalisation Order
before the pandemic however it was prudent to apply
during the pandemic but it was never called upon.
• Since the General Election the funding of Social Care (Adults’ and Children’s)
has become uncertain. There has been no multi-year settlement.
• There is now a major discrepancy in grants between Inner and Outer London. If
Bexley’s funding met the average it would receive an extra £63 million a year.
• The Government gave London a £69 million recovery grant but it only went to Labour boroughs.
• The Government has landed Bexley residents with two new burdens; no Winter Fuel
Allowance. 34,000 Bexley residents lost out to a needless cut.
• Secondly the increased National Insurance Contributions will hit the Council and its
suppliers. The Government provided an insufficient £1·6 million in compensation
which will not be available next year.
• Bexley is the safest borough but it has the money to invest in new CCTV.
Note: Whilst this is not a verbatim report all the important words recorded above are the Leader’s.
