Questions were raised at a meeting of full Council on Thursday as to why the Labour Council leadership seek to introduce Council tax rises they had previously opposed during the Green administration.
Responding to a question from Councillor Dick Page, Brighton & Hove Labour’s finance lead Cllr Les Hamilton could not explain why plans to ask residents for a 5% increase in their Council tax for the next financial year were being put forward, when the Labour Group had opposed a 3.5% rise proposed by the then Green administration during 2012/13.
Green Councillor Dick Page said:
“Labour’s budget includes a proposed 5% Council tax increase. If Labour had supported our smaller increase of 3.5% five years ago, the Council would now have £5m extra of funds annually to protect services to the City’s poor and vulnerable. We know Council funds are shrinking year on year, while the Government spends our money elsewhere, expecting local people to shoulder more and more of the burden. It’s no good Labour councillors saying one thing when not running the Council, then the opposite now they are in charge. If we are to stand up together and halt the destruction of local services, we need more honesty and trust.”
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Notes to Editors:
[1] Labour had also previously enacted Council tax increases under the period of the Labour-led Council (98/99 to 07/08)
[2] http://brighton-hove.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/261310/start_time/5110000 – Questions asked at Full Council (webcast)