Lib Dems slam North Somerset Conservatives over budget process

9.59.57am GMT Tue 1st Dec 2009

Liberal Democrat Councillors on North Somerset Council have slammed the handling of the budget by the ruling Conservative group. The £300 million budget was outlined at a recent full Council meeting, but the Conservative Group does not want ordinary back-bench councillors to discuss the budget at Scrutiny panels. A working party of Chairs of scrutiny panels - almost all Tories - has been set up to discuss the budget privately and keep it off Scrutiny panel agendas.

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Yamanaka said "I was appalled when I heard that the Conservatives did not want Scrutiny panels to examine the budget. This is a clear abuse of power."

Recently, when councillors at the Adult Services scrutiny panel tried to debate the budget they were blocked by the chairman.

Lib Dem spokesperson for Adult Services, Cllr Andy Cole, said "It is important that budget items causing concern to members of the Adult Services panel should be discussed at a future Scrutiny panel meeting. This meeting needs to have officers present to answer questions and has to be held in time for changes to be made to the budget.

"It is important for the Adult Social Services budget to be discussed in detail. We need to understand what effect the proposed cuts would have on the vulnerable people who rely on these services."

Last year's budget was labelled as one of the most secretive by Lib Dem councillors because the ruling Conservatives approved a budget with unidentified savings.

Cllr Yamanaka added "Scrutiny panels are part of the democratic process and must be allowed to operate properly. The Conservatives are trying to keep budget discussions secret. What are they trying to hide? When Lib Dems were involved in running the Council we held public consultation meetings on the budget and members of the public could speak at and attend Scrutiny panel meetings where the budget was discussed.

"The budget may not seem important to many people but it defines how your council tax is spent - from education to roads. Councillors representing many wards in North Somerset are being kept in the dark about the effects of the budget on their residents.

"These secretive Tories are the same ones who keep claiming that only they can be trusted with our tax money. If this were actually the case, they would prove it by having open discussions about their spending plans. They will not let their budget be scrutinised because they are afraid the people of North Somerset will see how much damage is being caused by their approach to budgeting."