Tory resignation puts power in the balance
By Jo Deeks on Thursday, 8th March 2001.
POLITICAL strife has escalated at St Edmundsbury Borough Council with the resignation of controversial former leader Mike Brundle from the Conservative group, leaving control of the council in the balance.
Coun Brundle, of Bury St Edmunds, hit the headlines last year after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his teenage daughter. He has now joined fellow ex-Tory rebel Brian Lockwood to form an Independent Conservative group, which he leads.
Now no party has overall control of the council, with 22 Conservatives and a total of 22 others, including 15 Labour.
At a full council meeting this week, the Labour group put forward an amended budget that was defeated, but which would have made savings of £22,000 to be set against cuts to the budget at Haverhill Arts Centre.
Ray Nowak, leader of the opposition, said St Edmundsbury was going through a period of crisis management and the lack of political leadership meant it was unable to use its full resources to continue a high level of services.
The amended budget proposed a five per cent cut in the Mayoral budget, a cut in the tourist information budget for the south of the borough and a reduction by half in the growth in expenditure on the Bury Festival.
It also proposed a further £21,000 saving by freezing changes to councillors' allowances, with the cash put towards half price charges for children using Sports Centres.
Derek Redhead, leader of the council, said he understood Mr Brundle left because he was at loggerheads with two or three members of the Conservative group.
"As a group, we are sorry to have lost him. I myself am very sad that we have lost him. However, I am sure we will continue to have his support," Coun Redhead said.
Coun Redhead described the Labour amended budget as "a political gesture" with nothing of any great value in it. He said savings rather than cuts had been made in the budget, which, although painful, did not affect essential services.
He said there had been a lot of hype about Haverhill's Arts Centre, but said the council could not go on overspending £100,000 a year, equivalent to spending £1,000 a day on it.
Coun Redhead believed negotiations with Haverhill Town Council about taking over the centre were close to conclusion and was very optimistic this solution would work out.
Coun Brundle, of Bury St Edmunds, hit the headlines last year after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his teenage daughter. He has now joined fellow ex-Tory rebel Brian Lockwood to form an Independent Conservative group, which he leads.
Now no party has overall control of the council, with 22 Conservatives and a total of 22 others, including 15 Labour.
At a full council meeting this week, the Labour group put forward an amended budget that was defeated, but which would have made savings of £22,000 to be set against cuts to the budget at Haverhill Arts Centre.
Ray Nowak, leader of the opposition, said St Edmundsbury was going through a period of crisis management and the lack of political leadership meant it was unable to use its full resources to continue a high level of services.
The amended budget proposed a five per cent cut in the Mayoral budget, a cut in the tourist information budget for the south of the borough and a reduction by half in the growth in expenditure on the Bury Festival.
It also proposed a further £21,000 saving by freezing changes to councillors' allowances, with the cash put towards half price charges for children using Sports Centres.
Derek Redhead, leader of the council, said he understood Mr Brundle left because he was at loggerheads with two or three members of the Conservative group.
"As a group, we are sorry to have lost him. I myself am very sad that we have lost him. However, I am sure we will continue to have his support," Coun Redhead said.
Coun Redhead described the Labour amended budget as "a political gesture" with nothing of any great value in it. He said savings rather than cuts had been made in the budget, which, although painful, did not affect essential services.
He said there had been a lot of hype about Haverhill's Arts Centre, but said the council could not go on overspending £100,000 a year, equivalent to spending £1,000 a day on it.
Coun Redhead believed negotiations with Haverhill Town Council about taking over the centre were close to conclusion and was very optimistic this solution would work out.
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