Yesterday the Labour Group on the city council called for a “fairer city that works for everyone” at Full Council in its response to the Tory Administration’s proposals to cut council services by £4m in the next financial year.

In Labour response to the Tory budget, Cllr Stephen Morgan said:

“We must be ambitious to tackle the poverty and deprivation that means families have to use foodbanks, homelessness is ever rising, and life expectancy so variant across our city.

We must put social value at the heart of how the local authority contributes to the city’s economy. This means creating new jobs and apprenticeships, and commitments to fair pay, decent working conditions and support for local business”.

Labour’s two councillors presented an alternative budget which would save management and support overheads and reduce the cost of democracy, to help protect public services in the city. By doing this this would allow for extra funding to:

– create a new “neighbourhood fund” a pot of money set aside to take forward ideas from residents and practical projects with community groups to improve our city’s streets and neighbourhoods. This idea has come up from local people from Portsmouth Labour listening to views on the doorstep

– help protect adult social care services in the city. These services are under huge strain and need an extra financial boost would help these vital services our loved ones use and we will all rely on later in life.

Regretably the budget amendment was voted down by other political parties and the Administration’s budget was passed.