Against the backdrop of another year of local government cuts, the city’s Labour Group tabled amendments at the annual full budget meeting at the city council that sought to cut back office costs and to spend smart for communities.

Most notably, the amendments would see funds used by the council for corporate dinners by the current Council Leader, a reduction in the number of Cabinet Members to reflect a smaller council and a big move to all out elections every four years to bring stability to local decisions.

Savings would have been diverted towards communities to help grassroots ideas and green initiatives and helping to reinstate trade union support for frontline staff.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Stephen Morgan MP formally moving the Labour amendment said:

“This year, like every year we have had since the last Labour government, the budget has been torpedoed by Government’s refusal to fund coal-face services.

Since 2010, under successive Tory and Lib Dem governments councils have lost almost 60p in every £1 of central government funding.

Since 2011 the Council will have made £102m in savings and this year has been no different. The Labour group amendments seek to direct what little money the council has left to only the worthiest causes.”

The Labour tabled amendments to the revenue budget aimed to reduce the entertainment monies for the Council Leader and streamline management overheads.

With the combined savings, the Labour Group set out plans to reinstate some trade union facility time, improve recycling, create a Sustainable Neighbourhoods Community Fund and take steps to combat the climate crisis.

Cllr Tom Coles added:

“Another year has gone by and still we look into the funding abyss created by Tory and Lib Dem austerity.

Attempting to set out a budget capable of transforming lives when government has financially tied the hands of local government for a decade is more than a challenge.

But what we can do is make calculated and sensible decisions about how we spend the councils dwindling coffers.

That means cutting where the fat is thickest and diverting to the areas where the most difference can be made to the lives of Portsmouth residents.”

Specially the proposals aimed to:

– Reducing the cost of democracy by moving to all out elections rather than a third each year – a saving of £79,000 per annum

– Asking the Council Leader to work with ward councillors to find other ways to fund the ideas for Farlington Pavilion

With this money the Group wanted to:

– Improve recycling rates (currently some of the worst in the country) by investing in environmental and recycling projects – £50,000 per annum

– Invest in communities across the city with a dedicated neighbourhood fund to tackle local issues and support environmental projects, helping the council and community to come together to improve neighbourhoods – over £240,000 and increasing

– Help reinstate trade union facility time, with the aim to follow reinstate previous cuts by the Tories – £20,000

Councils face an overall funding gap of £3.1 billion with estimates suggest this will rise to £8 billion by 2024/25. Councils have already been described as being at breaking point with services like social care bearing the most substantial hits.