Conservatives claim budget is 'doomed to failure'

The budget for the 2023/24, which includes a 4.99 per cent Council Tax rise, was approved last month.

But the Conservative Group has argued that it may already be out of date, as it had not allocated enough cash for pay rises for Council staff.

A statement from the Conservative Party said it was “yet another example of the council making totally unrealistic budget assumptions which doom the annual budget to failure from day one each year.”

But Council bosses have said the Conservatives are “intent on trying to blame the council for a massive underfunding of services by their own Government.”

Councillor Mike Pollard, (Baildon) Conservative Group Spokesman, Finance & Projects said, “On February 23, Labour Councillors forced through a budget to be implemented from April 1, when information confirming that the budget contained an entry which was inaccurate to the tune of over £6m, was already available to them.

“Last year, it was difficult to decide how much to budget for the annual staff pay award, as inflation levels were erratic, but now, when inflation is at 10.1 per cent and the public sector is experiencing multiple strikes over pay, the Local Government Association had held a consultation with member councils, of which Bradford is one, and agreed after regional soundings and briefings that an offer of 6.42 per cent be made. These briefings all took place prior to the Bradford Budget Council.

Councillor Mike Pollard (Image: newsquest)

“My Conservative Group colleagues and I struggle to comprehend why the Council’s corporate and political leadership could have concluded that budgeting for a 4 per cent pay increase was an appropriate response to these discussions and decision.

“At the Budget Council meeting on February 23, a key theme of the comments made by my Conservative Group colleagues and I, was that one of the main reasons that the council is teetering on the edge of technical bankruptcy, is that they have for years included wholly unrealistic projections in the budget setting process.

“It has always been the case that actual spending doesn’t always match projections and this can sometimes be due to genuinely unforeseen / unpredictable circumstances, but this was certainly not the case in this instance, it was much worse. This year the council has forced through a budget containing a £6m inaccuracy, when the real figure was available to them. They didn’t even inform members that they were being expected to vote in support of a budget with a huge black hole baked in and it is very difficult to accept that this was and still is not deliberate concealment. Days later they still haven’t informed members that they voted on a budget with a £6m inaccuracy.  “Why didn’t Labour propose a late amendment to their own budget and why have they still said nothing?

“This whole situation is highly suspicious and far from transparent and I suspect that the council will only come clean when confronted”.

In response to Cllr Pollard’s comments, Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “The majority of councils in Yorkshire & Humber, and nationally, have budgeted 4 per cent for pay increases for the coming year, some have budgeted less.  “We all know our workers deserve a lot more but without proper funding from national government, this is difficult to achieve.

“Pay in local government is determined nationally, not by Bradford Council.  “Pay settlements are reached nationally between representatives from different political groups of the Local Government Association and the Trade Unions.

“Bradford Council received notification of the offer that the National Employers had made to the trade unions after Full Council had met and set the budget.

“The Conservative Group seem intent on trying to blame the council for a massive underfunding of services by their own Government who have mismanaged the country’s finances in a spectacular way.

“We are focussed on working hard to deliver good services for the least amount of money, given the national cost of living crisis. But really we need the Government to get a grip.”