At the budget council meeting last month, Labour were able to strengthen the council’s budget for the year ahead and secure some big wins for our residents.
We were pleased the Greens used Labour’s progressive, balanced budget from last year as a base for their budget this year.
We welcomed this spirit of co-operation and the opportunity to consolidate our work.
Our proposals focused on improving the overall budget by listening to our communities, combating climate change and tackling disadvantage.
They included measures to tackle drug dealing, freeze parking permit charges for many residents, reduce the educational attainment gap faced by children in disadvantaged areas and support the city’s economic recovery.
We proposed three measures designed to work together to combat climate change in line with the Climate Assembly’s recommendation to focus on incentives rather than sanctions.
They were to introduce a “carbon partner” incentive scheme, invest in improving bus services (particularly in hilly areas of the city) and prevent excessive parking permit rises for many residents who still rely on a car, by raising the charges only for second and third cars instead.
We listened to our residents about the damage and misery caused by drug dealing, drug abuse and cuckooing in their communities. That’s why we wanted to fund a dedicated “community drug impact co-ordinator” post and set up a city-wide community summit on drugs.
We wanted to help people struggling on lower incomes. We sought to reverse cuts to school services that improve outcomes for disadvantaged children and fund a project to provide early help for families recovering from the pandemic.
We also presented measures to unlock stalled housing sites, boost the economy post-covid and invest in our seafront infrastructure.
These included building more beach huts and chalets to be enjoyed by residents and as a means of generating an income stream for the restoration of Madeira Terraces.
By working cross-party in the best interests of the city, we were able to win support for all these measures and more.
I always said Labour would work constructively and put securing positive outcomes for residents ahead of party politics – and at budget council we were able to deliver on that promise and ensure positive ideas from the Labour, Green and Conservative parties were included in the final budget for the city.
Councillor Nancy Platts is the leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.
So if you can do so well with seperate parties deciding budget content, why don’t you do the same with all council business and tear-up the coalition agreement with the Greens.
I see they are blaming Labour for the A270 Cycle Lane Extension fiasco.
Cllr Platts stop being the patsy to this Green Administration. Stop telling us about fair trade, the budget and building back better. Actually address the issue your voters want sorted in the West of the city – The OSR cycle lane. You have seen the survey results, you have your local councilors telling you they don’t want it, you have seen the FOI and the quite pathetic usage statistics. Labour can kick this can down the street no further you and Cllr Wilkinson must make sure this temporary lane does not become permanent.
It says at the end of this Plattitutde
“Councillor Nancy Platts is the leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.”
That is incorrect.
Labour is not the opposition, rather it is the patsy of the Greens.
She is the Leader of the labour group on B&HCC but that is it.
“We were pleased the Greens used Labour’s progressive, balanced budget from last year as a base for their budget this year….”
In other words “We’re happy to be fleecing the tax payers year on year for no perceivable increase in service”….