“This is Labour’s Budget, Not Ours”, Say Bristol’s Green Councillors  

The Green Group on Bristol City Council have chosen not to amend the current Labour Mayor’s final budget.  

 The group have stated that projected savings in adult social care and children’s services, especially SEN support, are both unrealistic and will result in cruel service cuts.  

 They have also criticised Labour for blocking a collaborative budget ahead of the Mayoral role being scrapped, and have expressed hope the next annual budget set by a committee-led administration will be more open and cooperative.  

 Cllr Heather Mack, Green Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Performance, said, “Whilst the Mayor has previously promised to be more collaborative, opposition Councillors have continually been kept out of the budget setting process. On top of this, the Mayor is proposing a budget that neither he, nor many of his Cabinet will be around to see carried out. 

 “The reality is that Councillors were given less time this year than ever before to amend this Labour budget. But from May, the new committee-led administration will be expected to work together to enact it, when they will finally have access to all the information available.  

 “Not to mention the fact that very few of the amendments that Green Councillors have proposed and been successfully passed by Full Council over this administration have actually been put in place. So the limited influence we are granted on the current budget process has been diminished even further.” 

 Green Councillors have also criticised the current administration for the way in which they have spent public money over the last few years.  

 Green Group Deputy Leader Tom Hathway said, “What we have been repeatedly told throughout this administration is that there is no money. Apart from the £132 million for Bristol Beacon, the £43 million spent on Bristol Energy, millions of regional money spent on consultants for an underground, and even money spent investigating whether the council can sue itself over Stoke Lodge.  

 “All the while, libraries continue to shut due to staff shortages, waste collections are missed, and the financial pressures from adult and child social care continue to increase.  

 “This Labour administration would rather spend money on vanity projects chasing a failed model of economic growth rather than improving public services and living standards for the people of Bristol.” 

 “All this could have a silver lining if The Labour Party had committed to increasing funding for local authorities if they get into Government this year, but they have not. What they committed to last autumn, is increased powers to be granted if local authorities can demonstrate a strong track record of managing public money, which we can only hope will be granted after eight years of capital mismanagement.” 

 Green Group Leader Emma Edwards expressed hope that a committee-led administration will be more open and cooperative. She said, “In the 2021 elections Bristol put as many Green councillors in City Hall as Labour. They had the chance to work with us then and they have opted to shut us out against the will of Bristolians ever since.” 

 “The new, collaborative committee-led administration from May will allow councillors from all parties to be involved in the budget setting process. I also do not rule out the need for a future administration to amend this budget to make it work and deal with the unrealistic savings claimed here. I look forward to working with Councillors from all parties to put the people of Bristol at the heart of any future budget.”