Shock as Lib Dem budget passes in Edinburgh, after tactical vote
The Liberal Democrats have had their budget passed by the City of Edinburgh Council, after the Green group voted tactically to down the Labour Administration's proposal
Last updated 23rd Feb 2023
The City of Edinburgh Council has passed a budget for the forthcoming years.
But it came with a shock in the chamber, as the Green group voted tactically to down the Labour administrations budget.
The Greens say they couldn't support the lack of climate funding in the proposal from Labour.
Their tactical voting meant the Liberal Democrats proposal - which included funding for climate action - passed.
The final vote on the two remaining motions was 29 votes for SNP Greens motion and 32 votes for the Liberal Democrats
Labour had accepted amendments from the Lib Dems and Conservatives to attempt to get their budget through.
The vote means residents in Edinburgh will now see a council tax rise of 5% - adding £68.94 rise for band D properties across the year, in order to raise an additional £5.39 million.
Cllr Alys Mumford, Edinburgh Greens Co-Convenor and Finance spokesperson said,
"Our priority throughout this process has been to secure the funding needed to tackle the climate and nature emergency. Our method for this was to engage, openly and honestly, with colleagues across the chamber, and to join with the SNP to present an ambitious, progressive budget.
"Last night it became apparent that Labour's administration had done another dirty deal with their coalition partners in the Tories and Lib Dems - creating a slush fund and allowing them to carve it up between them.
"Therefore we took the route available to us, and voted in the way which would ensure that there was a budget left on the table which contained vital climate spending.
"We're grateful to our colleagues who held their noses and voted to the tories and the lib dems - at great personal cost - for the sake of meeting our climate commitments."
The passed Lib Dem budget includes reversing £5.5 million cuts to school budgets, £370,000 speech and language therapy and keeping the Taxicard scheme.
It contains £16 million capital borrowing and planned investments of £3 million in gully cleaning, fly tipping, graffiti removal and street sweeping; £279,000 for a climate and sustainability team; £11 million to improve paths, pavements and roads; £3 million to fund park and greenspace improvements; £2million for flood prevention measures and, as pledged by other groups, £3million for the King’s Theatre.
Furthermore there are plans to save £600,000 by withdrawing the council’s commitment to no compulsory redundancies and £500,000 by reviewing outsourcing of waste and cleansing services.