Councillors retreat from festive meal

No formal decision has yet been made by the council on whether or not the meal – which last December cost the equivalent of 35 a head – will go ahead but council leader Ian Greenwood will suggest it does not after the Yorkshire Post investigation showed its spending on the single meal was more than six other authorities in the region spent combined on refreshments throughout the whole of last year.

"My view is there should not be a Christmas dinner this year," he said. "As soon as I became aware (of the figure), I suggested it would be a good idea not to have the meal this year but I need to speak to the other political parties first."

Bradford Council spent the money on the two-course meal, which did not include alcohol, at one full council meeting for up to 90 councillors and 20 officers, despite the economic downturn.

Coun Anne Hawkesworth, the Tory group leader, will suggest to colleagues on Monday they should ask to be provided with nothing if it does go ahead. "I would not expect the group to go. I would strongly recommend that they don't go," she said. Bradford Council spent a total of 32,380 in the last financial year on refreshments, up by six per cent on 2008-09.