Southwark Labour Vote to Hike Council Tax Bills and Cut Key Services

The 2023/24 budget for Southwark Council was voted through last night at a special full council meeting.

Southwark Labour councillors voted to raise council tax by the maximum 4.99% whilst making cuts to numerous social care services.

The 4.99% rise, combined with the GLA council tax increase of 9.7%, represents an additional £98.28 for an average Southwark household.

The budget also contains sweeping cuts to social services, including reductions to the respite care service, youth offending service and PAUSE service.

At the meeting, the Liberal Democrat group proposed an alternative budget, containing commitments to:

· Freeze council tax

· Protect key services for vulnerable people

· Increase financial support for the voluntary sector

· Invest in cycling infrastructure

To fund these proposals, the Lib Dem group called on the council to make internal savings and undertake innovative income generation schemes.

The Lib Dems called for Southwark to reduce the size of its cabinet and stop paying out golden goodbyes to outgoing cabinet members.

Labour members unanimously voted down the Lib Dem proposals, opting to maintain the inflated members’ allowances scheme, raise council tax and cut key services.

Labour members also voted against expanding the Lib Dem proposal to expand the Santander Cycles hire scheme throughout Southwark.

Commenting on the Labour budget, Southwark Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:

“This budget from Labour is a disgrace, instead of trying to help residents through cost-of-living pressures, this budget lumps them with more cost to fund Labour’s waste at the council. Our budget puts us on the side of residents against a regressive tax rise that many Southwark residents cannot afford.

Southwark Labour wasted £15million on a derelict building they’re now demolishing yet can’t find money to support residents through this cost of living emergency. They cannot be on the side of residents when they’re voting to keep paying out their own inflated allowances while hiking bills and cutting services for residents.”

Commenting on Labour’s cuts to vital social services, Southwark Liberal Democrat deputy leader Cllr Emily Tester said:

“Southwark Labour purports to be on the side of vulnerable groups, but their budget contains huge cuts to the services those vulnerable groups rely on. They have ignored residents, external human rights groups, the cross party scrutiny committee and their own analysis in ploughing on with these cuts.

The Lib Dem amendment gave them the chance to balance the books without cutting services and increasing support for the voluntary sector. It is of deep regret, for the residents of Southwark, they turned down this opportunity.”