News from Westminster Labour

Westminster Tories fund Summer party despite £20m budget hole

Despite a £20 million hole in the Council’s budget, which has led to £60 million of cuts over the next three years, Westminster Conservatives found no difficulty in spending nearly £10,000 on a ‘Living City 2010 Summer Reception’ at Westminster Abbey on 1st July.

Attended by 151 people, the Reception costs were £9,381 of which food was £1,680 and drinks were £1,123 (97 bottles of wine, 25 litres of orange juice, 21 bottles of water). Other costs included venue hire, and other catering (services, equipment, etc), printing invitations etc make up the remainder of the total.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Opposition, said: “There is no excuse for this sort of extravagance at a time when children’s play schemes are being axed, charges are going up and staff are being sacked right across the Council. Westminster Conservatives are so used to spending the Council’s money as it were there own that they have lost touch with reality. In this day and age it is simply not acceptable and totally unnecessary to spend so much on entertaining. The money would be much better spent on front-line services.”

In his speech to Party guests guests, Council Leader Colin Barrow stressed that “current levels of spending are unsustainable” and that “we have to find a way of doing things differently or not doing them at all”.

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012
• West End Commission – open letter to Westminster's Chief Executive - 21 January 2012
• Residents pick up £1m bill for Westminster's parking fiasco - 19 January 2012