Labour Budget Falls

http://douglasmccall.mycouncillor.org.uk/files/2014/03/MKC-Flag.jpg

Milton Keynes Council's Labour Administration budget fell last night, defeated 28 votes (Lib Dem/Con) to 24 (Lab). The one UKIP Cllr was absent.

Lib Dem Council Group Leader, Cllr Douglas McCall said "I have been a councillor 19 years and I think this is the worst budget I have ever seen. This budget has no structure to it, it is simply a list of cuts which impact the most vulnerable the most. A budget is supposed to express how the Council will deliver its policies, but this fails to do that. I think this is a demonstration of the weakness and inexperience of the Labour front bench.

The Liberal Democrats would have constructed a completely different budget - one that protected the vulnerable. We are very concerned about the cut to two thirds of supported bus routes. This will disproportionately impact the less well off, the young and the old who rely on buses to get around. We are concerned that those on low incomes who can't afford a car will be forced out of work as they simply will not be able to get there.

We are also concerned about the impact on the vulnerable of the cuts to voluntary organisations, as this is short sighted as it will just put pressure on public services elsewhere.

I am gob smacked that the Labour Administration want to literally throw people out on the streets by cutting the funding to homeless hostels like Orbit and St Mungos.

Also you do not both put car parking charges up and cut funding to buses as you are removing the alternative. How is that supposed to help the Council's policy on modal shift?

We believe that the double whammy of increased parking charges and reduced employee discount at the same time is unfair.

We are also concerned about the threat to children's centre and the library service. The list of concerns is too long for me to include all of them. In short we believe that this budget is so bad it is unamendable and that is why the Liberal Democrat Group voted against the budget".