Warrington Borough Council approves budget despite Labour rebel's objections (From Warrington Guardian)
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Warrington Borough Council approves budget despite Labour backlash
9:36am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News
Warrington Borough Council approves budget despite Labour backlash at Town Hall meeting last night
COUNCILLORS approved next year's budget which includes almost £14 million in cuts despite the Labour administration suffering a backlash from one of its own councillors.
Clr Kevin Bennett (LAB - Fairfield and Howley) voted against the budget and lashed out at his party's proposals.
He told the meeting of the full council last night: "Enough is enough, this administration is acting as agents of the coalition.
"Stop burying your heads in the sand and start listening to the alternatives.
" We need to send a strong message of defiance to this idealistic, uncaring, Tory led coalition Government and show the people of Warrington that we have got the guts to stand up to them."
Conservative councillors Sheila Woodyatt and Les Hoyle both abstained from voting on the budget. The Liberal Democrats and Conservative leader Clr Paul Kennedy voted in favour.
Among the raft of measures which will be brought in include a rise in council tax of 1.98 per cent.
Clr Russ Bowden, executive board member for corporate resources and assignments, oversaw the budget setting process.
After its approval he said: "In setting this budget we have tried to make as many of the necessary savings as possible through stamping out inefficiencies, reorganising services, using our buying power to secure better deals and by generating more income.
"However, the reality is we have done much of this already and this was a very challenging process for elected members and officers alike. The continuing cuts from government are hitting the town hard but we’re absolutely determined to deliver financial stability, investment opportunities and growth wherever possible."
Comments(18)
old-codger
says...
5:49pm Tue 5 Mar 13
Clr Bennett deserves a medal for standing up and being counted and also for fighting for the very people who elected him,
There are alway,s alternatives and this will be remembered at the next local elections when alternative councillors may very well be elected to represent the electorate..
old-codger
says...
5:56pm Tue 5 Mar 13
" We need to send a strong message of defiance to this idealistic, uncaring, Tory led coalition Government and show the people of Warrington that we have got the guts to stand up to them."
He is correct and its a great pity that joe public doesnt do the same instead of sitting back and letting this so called government walk all over them, We got shut of Thatcher now its time to get shut of "Son of Thatcher".
and the sooner the better..
yazhoo1
says...
8:59pm Tue 5 Mar 13
Old codger is right, they should pin a medal on Bennett's chest and send O'Neill and Bowden packing where they belong.
Well done Cllr Bennett. More like this please.
Rex Mundi
says...
10:36pm Tue 5 Mar 13
Paul Kennedy
says...
8:33am Wed 6 Mar 13
old-codger wrote:Actually the "we who got shut of" Mrs Thatcher in 1990, were members of the Conservative Party, not the electorate. Regarding "Son of Thatcher", Mr Cameron is not a Thatcherite, and the electorate will have the opportunity to decide who they want as their Government on 7th May 2015, in March 2013 the outcome should not be regarded as a foregone conclusion.
Clr Bennett said,
" We need to send a strong message of defiance to this idealistic, uncaring, Tory led coalition Government and show the people of Warrington that we have got the guts to stand up to them."
He is correct and its a great pity that joe public doesnt do the same instead of sitting back and letting this so called government walk all over them, We got shut of Thatcher now its time to get shut of "Son of Thatcher".
and the sooner the better..
PageA
says...
10:04am Wed 6 Mar 13
Paul Kennedy wrote:The conservative party got rid of a leader that was popular with the country? That doesn't make sense to me.
old-codger wrote:Actually the "we who got shut of" Mrs Thatcher in 1990, were members of the Conservative Party, not the electorate. Regarding "Son of Thatcher", Mr Cameron is not a Thatcherite, and the electorate will have the opportunity to decide who they want as their Government on 7th May 2015, in March 2013 the outcome should not be regarded as a foregone conclusion.
Clr Bennett said,
" We need to send a strong message of defiance to this idealistic, uncaring, Tory led coalition Government and show the people of Warrington that we have got the guts to stand up to them."
He is correct and its a great pity that joe public doesnt do the same instead of sitting back and letting this so called government walk all over them, We got shut of Thatcher now its time to get shut of "Son of Thatcher".
and the sooner the better..
Nick Tessla
says...
12:52pm Wed 6 Mar 13
old-codger
says...
5:59pm Wed 6 Mar 13
The we got rid of thatcher brigade consisted of millions of " Poll tax" protesters and not the Tory party,
Cameron is widely described by the media as the son of Thatcher, He is worse than Thatcher, The result of the 2015 election may very well shock you but for millions of the rest of us it is a forgone conclusion.
This blackmail of promising a referendum IF they win wont work because of all the two faced Tory U turns they have done, The only reason they are running the country is downt to the other two faced and U turning Lib/Dem leader siding with the Tory,s because Labour told them where to go. The next government will have to cope with the severe poverty inflicted by this uncaring and inhuman ..coalition
Rowdie
says...
9:38am Thu 7 Mar 13
Latest Labour U Turns...."we got it wrong on the elimination of the 10p tax rate where those on the lowest incomes tax band were forced up to pay 20p in the £.. Now "we got it wrong on immigration" typically exemplified by Gordon Brown's derogatory remark "who put me in front of that bigot", when Labour's immigration policies were questioned by the Rochdale lady before the last election.
No apologies from Labour for the mess they left with 'uncontrolled immigration';just looking for the opportunistic topics to nail their flag to for what they think will win them votes.
ie. Milliband ...".whatever the public are concerned about we will TALK about"...exactly,tal
k, talk...immigration down 30% under this government in two years ie ACTION.
just looking for the opportunistic topics to nail their flag to what they think will win them votes
SAC_in_Warrington
says...
9:48am Thu 7 Mar 13
binnzy28
says...
10:30am Thu 7 Mar 13
SAC_in_Warrington
says...
10:37am Thu 7 Mar 13
Karlar
says...
10:41am Thu 7 Mar 13
SAC_in_Warrington wrote:It will be interesting to see a list of the social landlords the Council is apparently lending over £300 million to.If this is fact, as reported in WW, we need an explanation on why WBC is lending them money and why the landlords are not borrowing through the usual channels and taking the risk themselves.
Is the budget available for public scrutiny yet? Any one found it on public domain internet?
SAC_in_Warrington
says...
10:47am Thu 7 Mar 13
Rowdie
says...
3:54pm Thu 7 Mar 13
binnzy28 wrote:100% correct binnzy;don't forget all the money thrown at the NHS to bring about RESULTS like what we are seeing at the Staffordshire Hospitals with others being looked into. Hundreds of people dying needlessly..- Andy Burnham health minister in charge at the time should resign.
as a country we are in a better position then we ever were and ever will be under labour aka lets give everyone money for free party. if labour were still in power now we would be bankrupt. not once have labour come out and said sorry for the mess they made. from banking to immagration. the cuts that are been made now by the goverment all be it somtimes harsh. are needed to get us back on an even keal. i dont get why some people still belive that labour did no wrong. they invested large amounts of money into the wrong areas. with benifits they created a lazy briton who just want to have kids and not work cause u get more money. at least the goverment are trying to get people to work. to sum up Labours overspending on benefits and the public sector areas are the reason these cuts are been made. ill never vote labour.
Cllr Bennett might want to ask Liam Byrne who was Labour Secretary to the Treasurer and who famously left a written message to the incoming Coalition treasurer; "SORRY BUT THERE IS NO MONEY LEFT"
No doubt he will react like all the Labour politicians by shouting "tax the rich, tax the rich";that will solve everything or if not just 'pluck the money required to finance our Hospital and balance the books from the trees.They seem to think it grows on them.
How they can continually blame the ones trying to pick up the pieces after they caused the crash is beyond belief!
willlie
says...
4:05pm Thu 7 Mar 13
old-codger
says...
5:33pm Fri 8 Mar 13
Politicians have to earn respect not demand it by means of manners,
That goe,s for all parties Ukip included,
Browns failure on imigration has lead to the present crisis, The 30% decrease in imigration is in new applicants, The millions allowed in by labour are here to stay, Bigot Brown is to blame and Bigot Brown should apologise, But dont hold your breath, As for the rest we shall just have to differ..
widnesman says...
4:12pm Tue 5 Mar 13
As for Woodyatt and Hoyle abstaining, if we all abstained come local elections, then they would not be in their privileged positions. We vote for councillors to represent us, not to sit on the fence!!