Now we know

At last night’s 5 hour noisy budget meeting Labour councillors proposed some wide ranging amendments that would have not only kept the Tennis Centre open but avoided teacher redundancies.

Swansea Labour Leader, Cllr David Phillips said, “We presented carefully thought out and considered amendments. It’s disappointing that they were rejected out of hand on a block vote by the Lib-Dems/Independent councillors”.

The amendments not only funded the Teachers Pay settlement in full, but reversed the charge for musical instruments and the cut in weekly black bag collection, kept all street lights on and increased the replacement of faulty street lights. The proposals had been cleared with both the Director of Education and the Council’s Finance Director.

Cllr Phillips said, “Chris Holley and his Finance Cabinet Member had no answers, and made no attempt to answer for their catalogue of financial mismanagement, except bluster and finger-pointing. Having ruined Social Services by years of under-investment they had no choice but the knee-jerk reaction of raiding the Education budget”.

He said, “The hollowness of the claims of the so-called Independents to ‘independence’ was demonstrated beyond doubt last night, as they all voted on-bloc for this regressive and reactionary budget”.

Labour councillors obtained ‘named votes’ for all the budget amendments, in which a record is taken of how councillors actually voted on any particular issue. The Minutes of all council meeting are posted on Swansea Council’s website.

Cllr Phillips said, “The Lib-Dems and Independents won’t be able to hide how they voted. The people of Swansea will be able to see what their ward councillor actually did – and compare that to what they say they did, These councillors will have to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.”

Cllr Phillips was especially critical of the sole Plaid Cymru councillor, Darren Price, who works for the Plaid AM, Dr Dai Lloyd. Cllr Phillips said, “Dai Lloyd had his picture in the paper supporting the Tennis Centre – but when it came down to it, Cllr Price voted with the Lib-Dems to shut it. This is just blatant hypocrisy”. He said, “This Administration is completely out of touch with the people of Swansea – but still expects them to pick up the tab for their expensive mistakes. They are going to get a rude awakening”.