Labour say Conservatives did not support their budget ‘as it was not to their personal benefit’

With the fallout from last nights tempestuous meeting continuing, the Labour For Wrexham facebook page published a statement saying Conservative Councillors did not support their alternative budget “as it was not to their personal benefit.”

In a statement this morning Labour said: “Yesterday the Tory / Independent run Council in Wrexham voted for the following: increase your council tax bill, accept a pay rise for themselves, ensure that councillors get cheaper parking in the town centre than residents and especially disabled people, Cut services in schools for our children.”

“All of this was despite an increase in funding to the council from the Welsh Labour Government.”

“There was an alternative budget proposed by Labour councillors which was supported by other opposition parties, and the one true independent councillor, on the table that was a genuine attempt to mitigate the worst of the cuts and make savings in other areas such as councillors pay.”

“But as you would expect the Tory councillors opposed this as it was not to their personal benefit. The Independents (except the one true independent on the council) proved to be the exact opposite of what their name suggests and voted as one big group – not independently – to support the Tories, their pay and their own jobs.”

With Wrexham Council being made up of an alliance of Independent councillors making up Independent groups, and the Conservatives, they added: “Please remember most of those councillors calling themselves Independents are nothing of the sort. They are not an independent voice for your ward with no party line to follow. They are not an independent voice speaking out for Wrexham. They are part of the largest groupings on the council, their vote is tied to a group decision and they are working with the Tories to run the council.”

Earlier today the Conservatives branded the local Plaid Cymru group as ‘all talk and no budget’ as they backed the Labour alternative budget rather than submitting their own.

You can read our full meeting report from last night’s Full Council meeting here.

(In a previous version the Wrexham For Labour Facebook page was referred to as ‘the local Welsh Labour group’)