A VERY UNSETTLING BUDGET

Last night saw the Tories approve a 2.49% increase in the Council Tax at Full Council. Assurances were given that services will not be slashed, but that £6.5m will be cut from existing service budgets by 'efficiencies' and a further £0.5m raised through higher charges. What these efficiencies are has not been revealed other than their intention to move resources from the back office to the frontline. Our real fear is that this will mean support jobs, but that is not admitted. We will watch this closely.

The Council meeting was like a political rally with the Tories banging the table in joy as each announcement was made by the Council Leader. There were lots of popular funding announcements - such as mainland travel costs for cancer patients, 50p travel for young people, unlimited free travel for pensioners, police community support officers - that Deborah and I as Labour councillors were pleased with. The Liberals along side us looked very uncomfortable as the Council Leader hammered their past record of non-delivery

Given the lack of transparency in the budget Deborah and I decided that it would be very difficult and churlish for us to propose our alternative budget as so much was unclear in what was being proposed by the Tories and we only had 20 minutes to consider the official papers. You cannot restore 'efficiencies', without knowing what they are. What a mad way to have to operate ! We said that we would abstain on their proposals and scrutinise their delivery over the next 12 months. The other opposition groups similarly abstained, though they had not prepared any alternative proposals.

Frankly I am deeply worried for the next 12 months.

On other business, plans to get the Scrutiny Committee back on track were deferred until next month, due to the importance of the budget debate and the unwillingness of one or two opposition members to engage as Labour wants to.