Labour hits back at ‘vanity’ criticism

Labour-run York Council is coming under increasing scrutiny from political opponents over its spending priorities as the Government’s austerity drive bites deep into budgets.

The latest attack on the administration’s financial blueprint has come from Liberal Democrats who accused Labour of starving the roads maintenance budget. Lib Dem member Keith Orrell claimed his group’s amendments to the council’s budget plans for the next two years would have invested an extra £500,000 on roads.

He added: “Residents I speak to find it baffling that Labour can find £100,000 to spend on an Arts Barge and find millions of pounds for city centre vanity schemes, but cannot find the money to properly repair potholes in our communities.”

But the cabinet member for environmental services, Coun David Levene, who oversees roads maintenance, accused the Lib Dems of “opportunistically distorting the truth in a desperate attempt to regain lost support”.

He added: “We are managing services responsibly and investing in jobs and growth, despite the slash-and-burn attitude of their party in government.”

Coun Levene did admit, however, the roads maintenance budget has been cut by £185,000 over a two-year period to counter funding cuts from Westminster. The council is enforcing £20m of savings during the next two years.

The Labour administration has faced previous criticism that it is focusing on unnecessary initiatives. The Yorkshire Post revealed last month the Tory group leader Ian Gillies had condemned Labour for schemes including the Arts Barge and introducing 20mph speed limits while taxpayers faced a 1.9 per cent rise in council tax in the new financial year.

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