A contentious meeting of Copeland Council took place this week in which the Labour opposition refused to vote for the budget and attempted to trigger a vote of no confidence in the elected mayor.
Copeland mayor Mike Starkie presented his budget for the 2022/23 financial year to the council at a meeting on Tuesday. And although it passed, Copeland Labour collectively abstained on a vote to approve the council’s last ever budget.
Copeland’s financial situation is a point of contention between the Conservative leadership and Labour.
The Conservative mayor blames the previous Labour administration for the council’s financial difficulties, pointing to £5 million in borrowing from 2002 which is gathering interest.
Mr Starkie has said that the previous Labour leadership failed to prepare for a £30 million business rates appeal from Sellafield. The council has also been hit by a £3 million yearly reduction in Government support.
But the Labour opposition say “he has been in power since 2015 and any issues that exist now are down to him.”
Last year saw the publication of a Government commissioned report revealing the “significant risk” of a Section 141 notice – the council equivalent of bankruptcy if steps are not taken in the short term. In response, the council applied for a capitalisation directive of £1.5 million to balance the budget.
peaking at the meeting on Tuesday, Labour leader Michael McVeigh revealed that the group would be abstaining on the budget and intend to trigger a vote of no confidence in the mayor.
He said: “The last 18 months have been very acrimonious. Copeland Labour group can’t in good conscience vote for this budget. We will have no part in the continued deterioration in finances under you Mr Mayor.
“Not only is this council on the verge of bankruptcy but the mayor is bankrupt of ideas.”
The Labour group attempted to trigger a vote of no confidence in the meeting but were told it was a one-item agenda and would need to be submitted as a motion in advance of a future meeting.
Following the meeting, a spokesperson for Copeland Labour group said: “It’s disappointing that we were not able to have that vote of no confidence in the mayor.
“Copeland Labour group will be putting a vote of no confidence in the mayor at the earliest opportunity with the support of some independents.”
The move could come at the next meeting of the full council on February 22.
Mr Starkie said: “In seven years they have not made one successful amendment. Today when they turned up they didn’t have a single question on the budget they had no alternative because they have absolutely no idea.
“In 2015 when I took over, the council was bankrupt and we were bailed out to the tune of £2.9 million from the Government. They didn’t employ a single qualified accountant, the council was riddled with vacancies and being run by interims and consultants.
“And as a majority group they’re calling for a vote of no confidence because they must be disappointed that I failed in their mission to bankrupt the council.”
