Opposition Bristol city councillors have accused the ruling Labour group of deliberately trying to hobble the forthcoming committee system by slashing money needed to run it. But cabinet members refuted the claims that they are taking a “scorched earth approach”, insisting no details about the new set-up, such as costs, structure or how it would actually work, had yet been provided and that sufficient funds would be given.
The row broke out at a council meeting over proposals to cut £500,000 from the mayor’s office, which will become defunct when Marvin Rees’s second term ends in May 2024 following the referendum result earlier this year to scrap the role of elected mayor. It will be replaced by decision-making committees made up of cross-party councillors with power shared among groups reflecting the authority’s political balance.
Opposition members criticised the Labour administration at a budget scrutiny meeting on Wednesday, November 23, for cutting the mayor’s office costs completely from 2024/25 but failing to include any money to support the new system. Labour deputy mayor for finance Cllr Craig Cheney said: “This is just about clearing the current system out and a new one needing to be designed and the cost of that needing to be factored into future budgets.”
