Last night was “Budget Council” for Bury MBC. This is probably the most important meeting each year for a local Council as it is when Councillors set the full budget for the following year.

In a shapshot, here’s what has been agreed:

- a Council Tax rise of 3.4% from 1st April. This is a significantly lower rise than in recent years - which is good.

- A discount for the over 65s of 3.4% off their council tax.

- The ability for people to pay their council tax in 12 installments, not 10 as is the case now.

- More money to pay for pressures on services for disabled people, more money (thanks to the Lib Dems!) for environmental issues like parks, street cleaning and environmental enforcement.

- A “capital programme” over the next three years which includes building the new High School at Radcliffe Riverside, as well as plans to develop Phillips Park Hall in Prestwich.

It was a very difficult year (again) for Bury setting its budget. The amount of money that the Government gives us was yet again less than our neighbours in the rest of Greater Manchester. Its been calculated that since Labour came into Government Bury is 15% worse off than before - and that was from a low starting point. This means that a number of “savings” (cuts) have had to be made - totalling around £5 million.

What did the Liberal Democrats do?

The Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment to the Budget which proposed to reallocate just over £1/3 million of different expenditure than what was being proposed by the Conservative Party administration that runs Bury.

£250,000 to maintain services in a number of important areas for young people and children. This included
- saving proposed cuts to the youth service and schools advice services. We believe that services for young people are an essential, not just for their own sake, but also because they help tackle issues like anti-social behaviour.

- saving proposed cuts to services to vulnerable children including: disabled children, the whole young carers service, the whole service to support parents with mental health needs, and vulnerable children at risk.

£100,000 of new expenditure for our parks, streets and environment

- we proposed £50,000 on environmental issues to help deal with issues such as Street Cleaning and maintaining the “Green Flag” status of our parks. We’ve been promised a Saturday clean of town centre areas which should be excellent

- we proposed £50,000 on environmental enforcement which will tackle issues such as fly-tipping, dog fouling and stray dogs (dog warden service).

The Liberal Democrat Group amendment was accepted (not, it should be noted with any support from the Labour Party…) and became part of the agreed budget.

What did the other Parties do.

I am not easily shocked in politics, but last night the Labour Party amazed me. They proposed different budget which can only be described as “mad”.

The proposed to make wholesale cuts to make way of a cheap “gimmick” of a zero rise in Council tax. No rise in Council tax would be brilliant, but I was amazed about what they were prepared to sacrifice to come up with this cheap gimmick.

Labour proposed to:

- ignore the needs of disabled people in Bury by removing £700,000 of much needed expenditure for people with learning and physical disabilities. This is a disgrace. They should be ashamed of suggesting that disabled people don’t need services from the Council.

- ignore the needs of children and young people by cutting £350,000 of services for young people and vulnerable children. Mostly this was exactly the same list of services saved by the Liberal Democrats. Labour proposed to cut youth services, cut ALL services to young carers, cut services for disabled children and, most worryingly, cut services for vulnerable children at risk. This is a disgrace.

- put the future finances of the council at risk by spending all the “reserves” down to the bare minimum (reserves are needed to cope for emergencies such as spending on flooding, unexpected demand etc) AND ignoring the long standing “equal pay” issue to address women employees who have been paid less than men doing the same job.

I was shocked by how low the Labour Party could stoop. The socialist “founding fathers” of the Labour Party will be turning in their grave to watch their Party abandon people in need.

And the Conservatives…

In the end it was the proposals of the Conservative Party, with the addition of the new expenditure proposed by the Liberal Democrats that won the day which are outlined about.

We didn’t feel able to support all the proposals of the Conservatives - particularly some of the savings around the environment and social services, so abstained on the final vote.

The papers for the Budget are available on the Council’s website here. You can read the speech of the Lib Dem Resources Spokesperson Cllr Richard Baum here. If you have any questions, or comments, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Tim