Bradford’s politicians have been urged to adopt a more mature way of debating the district’s future amid the testing economic cuts imposed by the Government.

Councillor Ian Greenwood told last night’s full Council meeting that political point scoring would get the district nowhere as the Council looks to operate its services with a budget cut by £67.1m over the next two years.

He was pressing for his motion to be carried, with amendments suggested by the Liberal Democrats, which acknowledged the future challenges facing the district – a move which proved successful.

The meeting was attended by around 15 members of the public who held up posters labelling Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg a a traitor.

Coun Greenwood, whose speech was greeted with applause from the public gallery, said these were the most difficult times in the Council’s history.

“It would be easy to moan and be negative and not face the future,” he said.

“But we are where we are. We will have robust debates in this chamber but it’s also important to understand we have an obligation to the people we serve.”

Hecklers reserved boos for the Liberal Democrat group’s leader, Coun Jeanette Sunderland, and Conservative group leader, Coun Anne Hawkesworth.

Coun Sunderland said: “Every bit of the public sector has to do its bit to deal with this debt.

“You (Labour) left us with a legacy of debt and it’s got to be dealt with.”

But she said the way some money had been ring-fenced as part of local government settlements means there are opportunities to protect the most vulnerable members of society.

Money will be saved from reorganising the Council’s back offices, management structures and procurement of services, she said, but it was vital extra care homes and two new special educational needs schools are built.

Coun Hawkesworth praised the Labour group for the motion but defended the severity of the Coalition Government’s cuts.

She said: “I accept the fact that the bankers were at fault but the real fault was the spending process of the Labour government.

“We have got to stop living beyond our means and that means every single resident in this district paying £2 per day to pay the interest on this unsustainable debt.”