Brighton and Hove Labour leader urges council tax compromise

The Labour opposition group leader on Brighton and Hove City Council has written an open letter calling on his political rivals to compromise to break the council tax deadlock.

Councillor Warren Morgan sent the letter this morning (Saturday 1 March) after the council failed to set the budget and council tax for the coming year on Thursday (27 February).

The council is due to meet again at 6pm on Wednesday (5 March) at Hove Town Hall.

It has until Tuesday 11 March to set a budget and decide how much council tax to charge or the government will step in and impose a budget.

Councillor Morgan said in his letter to Green council leader Jason Kitcat and Conservative opposition leader Geoffrey Theobald: “First of all I would like to thank you for the civil way in which negotiations were conducted at Budget Council on Thursday even though ultimately no agreement was reached.

Councillor Warren Morgan

“When we return to the council chamber on Wednesday, the budget on the table will be one based on an inflation-level council tax increase.

“It is the level proposed in the original Green budget published in December and it is the same level proposed and voted through by the Conservative councils in East Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

“While I know it is not your preferred option, it is the only compromise position between your two parties’ views, both of which I respect.

“I would hope that even if you and your councillors cannot support this compromise position, you will at least ask your councillors to abstain rather than oppose, and allow my councillors to pass a lawful balanced budget as we are required to do by law.

“The public expect that responsible and sensible action from us.

“The consequences for the city council and Brighton and Hove of us not passing a budget would be very serious indeed.

“At best it will cost the council a great deal in both lost money and damaged reputation.

“At worst the government would step in and take over, with terrible implications for local services.

“I understand that by allowing us to vote through that compromise budget, politically the Conservatives will say ‘Labour are voting for more tax rises’, and the Greens will say ‘Labour is voting for more cuts’.

“If that is what it takes for control of our city’s finances to remain in the hands of our democratically elected local representatives, then so be it.

“It is time to put the interests of the city ahead of the interests of our political parties and sort this situation out without any further delay.”

The Greens proposed putting up the council tax by 4.75 per cent but this was thrown out by Labour and Tory councillors voting together on Thursday.

The Conservatives want a council tax freeze and Labour wants a rise of just under 2 per cent. Any more than this would trigger a referendum of local voters.