A Tory councillor has been accused of living in "cuckoo land" after refusing to back an almost five per cent council tax rise.
North Tyneside Council's proposed budget includes a rise of council tax by 4.99%, ordained by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn statement last year.
The budget includes a rise in the authority's core spending of £19.7m but this is partly dependent on the council tax increase.
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However, the budget has met with scrutiny from Preston Conservative councillor Liam Bones. Coun Bones was part of the budget scrutiny committee which examined the proposed budget for the council and refused to back the increase in council tax.
Deputy Mayor Carl Johnson lay the blame for the council tax rise at the feet of the Government.
Coun Johnson said: "It's a shame to see the Conservative member in denial about that. He sounds as in denial as Liz Truss saying it wasn't her fault for crashing the economy."
Councillor Sandra Graham, the cabinet member for the environment, said: "This particular member is living in cuckoo land and I think we should be writing back to the group to say that."
The 4.99% increase in council tax is not yet in effect. The hike is subject to a full council vote on February 16 2023.
Coun Liam Bones said: "This budget from the Labour Party makes political choices - it's the mayor's choice to keep her chauffeur-driven car while hiking council tax, it's the Mayor's choice to spend nearly a million pounds on councillors' allowances while asking residents to pay for it.
"Councillor Graham may think that putting residents' priorities first is living in cuckoo land - I think she ought to remember that we are here to serve the residents of North Tyneside."
A Labour Party spokesperson responded to Coun Bones' comments stating that although the civic car and driver have not been axed in the budget, it is used by multiple people in the council and many authorities have similar travel arrangements.
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