We’ll work together, Labour leader promises

Jim McMahon

LABOUR leader Jim McMahon has vowed to work with the Liberal Democrat administration to enforce its budget despite his party’s bitter opposition to the council tax increase.

Speaking after the council moved to back Lib-Dem budget plans to increase council tax by 2.5 per cent, Councillor McMahon said: “The easiest thing for us to do now would be to criticise at any given opportunity, but the best thing we can do now is make sure it is delivered.

“This budget will be a difficult budget to deliver and the chances of something going wrong are high, so the best way forward is for all the parties to work together.

“Bringing forward so many efficiencies, including 550 job cuts, will be very difficult and the danger is that this could destabilise the council, so we have to throw our support behind it.”

Attack

But Councillor McMahon fiercely attacked Lib-Dems leader Howard Sykes’s pledge to resign as leader of the council if Labour’s zero per cent council tax rise was passed, accusing him of playing a dangerous game to try to force his budget through.

He said: “I’m not surprised that our alternative budget was not adopted because the Conservatives would have effectively been voting for a Labour administration if they had backed our zero per cent rise and that’s not what they want.

“Also, what Howard was threatening would have derailed the entire council and nobody wanted that. We would have been in charge without a majority and it would have been impossible to make any decisions.

“Howard was playing a very dangerous game and he should think more carefully before he throws threats like that around again because people take a very dim view of it. His threat to resign most definitely did play a role in the decision which was made tonight.

“We do actually agree with much of their budget, in terms of cutting excessive bureaucracy and cutting down the number of managers at the council to save money, but I don’t think the people of Oldham will tolerate another council tax rise.

“We will make this council accountable for the money it receives and make sure it doesn’t keep going back to the people of Oldham every time it needs extra cash.”

After the meeting, Councillor Sykes said he had no regrets about his ultimatum. He said: “It was for the council to decide, and I think we have done the right thing.

“There was an outbreak of common sense at the end of the meeting.”

Councillor Hulme said he was angry that the Lib-Dems’ first amendment took out proper debate. He added: “My anger is at the political posturing of the Liberal group. We voted on financial terms. They wanted us to give in under pressure.”