Mayor warns of government takeover if budget fails

2 days ago

Amy Holmes,Bedfordshire political reporterand

John Guinn,Local Democracy reporter

News image — Mayor of Bedford, Conservative Tom Wootton, said he was disappointed a letter outlining his warnings had been leaked

Amy Holmes/BBC Tom Wootton is looking into the camera while standing in a wood-panelled room that appears to be an office or meeting space. He has white hair on the sides of his head and a beard. He is dressed in a dark blue suit jacket over a black sweater, with a white collared shirt and patterned tie. Behind him are wall-mounted evacuation diagrams and a row of black cushioned chairs with wooden frames. — Mayor of Bedford, Conservative Tom Wootton, said he was disappointed a letter outlining his warnings had been leaked

A mayor said government officials could end up running the authority he is in charge of, if councillors failed to back his budget.

In a letter leaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and seen by the BBC, Bedford Borough Council mayor - Conservative Tom Wootton - said it was "highly likely" the council could be placed into special measures if a budget was not agreed.

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Henry Vann said "the council is already bankrupt" and added Wootton's "attempts to pre-emptively shift the blame for the council's financial collapse won't fool local residents".

Wootton said it was "really disappointing a confidential email to councillors has been leaked".

Steve Hubbard/BBC A large, curved concrete building with multiple rows of windows stands behind a grassy area and a pond. The building is Bedford Borough Council's headquarters. Several trees with autumn foliage are scattered across the scene, and branches frame the top of the image. The sky is overcast, creating a moody atmosphere, and a few people can be seen walking along the path near the water. — Bedford Borough Council has recently asked the government for £55m in Exceptional Financial support

Councils are legally obliged to produce a balanced budget by the end of February each year. Bedford's is being discussed on Wednesday, with a back-up date of 25 February if it is not agreed first time.

If there is no consensus after that, Wootton's letter warned it was "highly likely" the council could be placed into special measures, with commissioners then appointed to run the authority which could remove elected members from the decision-making process.

Wootton said the council, run by a minority Conservative administration, faced a "grave financial situation" driven by rising demand in adult social care, children's services and homelessness, inflationary pressures, reduced government funding, and the "collective decision over the past decade" to not raise council tax by the full allowable amount.

To address the shortfall, the authority has proposed to charge for green waste and suspend free parking at All Hallows and Lurke Street. There could also be staff cuts.

Last month, the BBC reported that the council had requested to borrow £55m from the government to tackle the problem.

Urging councillors to support the budget, Wootton said the decision was about whether the borough continued to be governed by elected representatives or by commissioners with no local mandate.

Amy Holmes/BBC Henry Vann looking into the camera with a textured brown wall behind him. He has short black hair and glasses, and is wearing a dark suit and tie over a white shirt. — Liberal Democrat opposition leader Henry Vann said the authority was effectively already in special measures

In response to the leaked letter, Wootton said it was "no secret the council is on a financial cliff edge".

He warned councillors "to stop playing political games" and added "the consequences for residents of this borough going into special measures is very real and frightening".

But opposition leader Vann said: "The council is already effectively in special measures, with an independent panel of experts being brought in to keep an eye on every move."

He claimed the council was already "bankrupt and awaiting news on whether or not a government minister will agree the £55m bailout".

He added that "to warn that more government intervention will shut down services, sack staff and sell off community assets when these sadly all already appear in the budget being discussed on Wednesday is a deeply disappointing attempt at deflection".

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.

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