Labour Party Budget Response – 2019.

Cllr Kate Chinn – Labour Group Finance Spokesperson

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

Embargoed until 7:30pm February 19th 2019 — Check against delivery —

Thank you Mister Mayor.

May I start by congratulating our Director of Finance & Resources, Lee Duffy and the Finance team for all the work they have done in preparing this budget. I’d also like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Labour Group, to thank all those officers who have supported us this year and thank and praise all Council staff for their dedication and professionalism in serving the residents of Epsom & Ewell.

The finance team have minded the finances of Epsom and Ewell well. It must have been a difficult task putting this budget together with the cuts and complete uncertainty created by this government. The loss of the Revenue Support Grant and now sadly the bid to be a business rates pilots being unsuccessful. And just two weeks ago this government voted to cut £1.2 bn from local government spending. All these challenges along with the much larger challenges of Brexit and climate change all causing a very difficult task.

Mister Mayor, we have a good news story. I’m pleased our last year’s motion requesting support and funding for an Emily Wilding Davison Statue has finally been agreed. It will undoubtedly be an asset for the town a tourist attraction as well as remembering and celebrating the achievements of Emily Wilding Davison and the suffragette movement. I was pleased that Cllr Kington announced it as being apolitical and there would be no need for publicity as he left the chamber with what I believe was his pre-prepared press release sticking out of his back pocket. Cllr Kington that’s fine we’re all here for the good of the town.

I can understand the thoughts of the ruling RA group that council taxes need to be raised to plug coming gaps in the council budgets and because of the constant chipping away and clawing back of revenue from central government and SCC. Even funding for Meals on Wheels has been stopped, a small amount 15 000, but the cuts are constant

I looked at the holes in the finances and the deficits in the budgets.

Mister Mayor, The Venues, Bourne Hall and The Playhouse have both been running at a consistent and constant deficit for many years. Only last month improving the toilets at Bourne Hall was discussed by the Community and Wellbeing Committee. The women on the committee agreed making very shoddy toilets a bit less shoddy does not an upmarket wedding venue make.

I asked Mr. Duffy for the figures at a budget meeting I had with him just after Bourne Hall was discussed. Bourne Hall is subsidised each year for varying amounts this year 400K but last year and next year half a million was spent or is predicted. The Playhouse around 400K a year sometimes more. The council does know how to run a venue profitably. Cllr Kington’s Ewell Court House being an example. It does belong to Cllr Kington doesn’t it? Or is he just keeping a close eye on the finances.

There have been reviews and some tinkering around the edges

The Labour Group believe a huge review is required. Cllr Steer tells me Bourne Hall is busy, but it also needs to be profitable.
Likewise, with The Playhouse. The Labour Group would be grateful if the members worked with the senior officers and grabbed this bull by the horns. Members need to address the holes in the budgets and not strive to keep things the same as they have been for decades even if they are failing. These venues need turning around.

Another cost to the borough is homelessness caused by the lack of homes that people can afford it is a huge problem in the borough. I must praise the housing team in the borough. They have constantly found innovative and practical solutions. However, they can’t build houses.

Mister Mayor, if you’re born in the borough you have lived in E&E all your life and your extended family live here it is likely that you may want to settle in the borough. A place where you can be supported at the times in your life when you might need it, such as the birth of a baby, help with childcare and in times of illness. Today’s young people don’t have that option.

Members must enable the building of affordable homes for people to live in, settle in and raise their families. But no! the local plan has been delayed and this council has not ensured the building of enough homes for the residents of the borough for decades. There has been a wilful disregard of the needs of residents and their families.

It can be done. Labour councils have found all sorts of innovative ways for example using pension funds of local businesses and making developers use an open book with the council able to see their finances for a development. The council can then ensure the proper contributions of either affordable housing or financial contributions to support the infrastructure and community facilities. Just last week Southampton Council gave the keys to the first residents in their development of 56 new council homes. The Labour group is more than happy to share the experiences they have of how Labour councils in the country are building homes with the ruling group.

Mister Mayor, we are all members of a political party, The Labour Party, The Conservative Party or The Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell. As an elected representative of our communities surely members have a responsibility to take actions if they think there is a political will to make decisions that will cause hardship for our community. As a Labour Group we stood and campaigned against Brexit, some of our friends on our right, in every sense of the word, campaigned for it and the RA chose not to speak on the subject. As the possible consequences of a poor or no deal Brexit are now unfolding, we believe we made the right decision. We hear of the NHS stockpiling body bags; the police and armed forces being asked to prepare for civil unrest and possible food and medicine shortages. Officers are preparing for possible disruption but as this government plays a game and holds the country to ransom it must be an impossible task to predict the outcomes of Brexit and we respect the hard work and challenges the officers face in tackling them.

As a group we have been criticised for not directing enough ire towards the resident’s association members. Well there is a reason for that.
The political party the residents associations of Epsom and Ewell cannot destroy my children’s futures. Yes this is partially because they will never be able to afford to live in the borough but also because of the policies of this Conservative government. The people we speak to on the doorsteps are worried about their finances.

• Our residents believed their energy bills wouldn’t be going up. They are.
• Our residents are still suffering from the bedroom tax as the shortage of homes mean they are unable to downsize or people need carers and can’t move
• Our residents have been hit hard by the benefit cap because of the very high rents in the borough.
• Our residents have seen huge cuts to their disability benefits
• Our residents some of whom are the people we rely on the most,have been hit by the public sector pay freeze nurses, teachers and paramedics using foodbanks.
  40% more people used the foodbank in E&E in 2018 compared to 2017. It’s shameful.But they have cut inheritance taxOh, and while we’re here please can we slay the dragon that the Tories constantly parade particularly County Councillors when lead by Mr Hodge. The money does not go up north the home counties get more money than anyone else. I have sent Cllr Mason the figures and happy to share them with anyone else who is interested.Mister Mayor we can support many things in this budget but as we approach this year’s elections there is a suspicion of electioneering. Buried in the figures we can see the council’s finances fall off a cliff in 2020, coincidentally after the residents have gone to the polls.

  It’s clear that big decisions related to service cuts have been kicked into the long grass hoping that residents won’t notice and praying for a miracle to happen in 2020. The RA haven’t fooled anyone
  and being a responsible opposition, not only is it our job to hold the RA to account but also because it will be our problem when we take over the running of the Council in May.

  The Labour group notes and welcomes the revenue from the council’s properties but consider it would be best to concentrate on investments providing assets to and for the borough for which the council is directly responsible. We also note the warnings issued over the overvaluation of council assets particularly shopping malls

  Mister Mayor the borough needs to reduce spending without cutting services and without raising council tax. It can be done and here are some modest, but we think, sensible proposals. Remember there was only one party which presented the country with a fully costed manifesto for the 2017 general election.

• Reduce the spend on The Playhouse and Bourne Hall. No stone should be left unturned and no option ignored to reduce the subsidies
• Abolish councillors’ allowances – the reduction in cost would obviate the need to raise council tax at all
• Start immediately to enable and build affordable homes in the boroughIn summary these are difficult times and there are so many challenges and difficulties for people in Epsom and Ewell managing household budgets. A rise in Council Tax may well nudge people over the edge creating more costs for the council than the monies raised in picking up the pieces of lives destroyed. An unacceptable financial, social and personal cost for our residents.We understand the challenges caused by this government, but we in the Labour Group are on the side of the residents of Epsom & Ewell and so we will be voting against this budget this evening.Thank you Mister Mayor ends —