Former MP and now councillor for Dukes ward, John Pugh, has come under fire after his recent comments welcoming Government restrictions on local authority spending.
The new rules will limit the ability of councils to borrow to invest in commercial property, something which has boomed as local authorities try to find new revenue streams to offset the austerity cuts imposed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Cllr Pugh said he welcomed the new rules introduced by the Government to limit and pointed to Sefton’s purchase of the Strand in Bootle saying the new rules would:
“stop councils taking a punt on the property market with council tax payers shouldering all the risks.”
The new restrictions will prevent any borrowing unless it can be shown it will benefit residents. Sefton Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher, however, made clear that the income generated by the Strand will “more than cover” the Treasury loan repayments and the Strand’s running costs and will actually provide a much-needed revenue stream for the cash-strapped council.
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It’s led Norwood’s Labour Cllr Bill Welsh to question Cllr Pugh’s motivation and wisdom in making his comments:
“Cllr Pugh whilst an MP voted for the devastating cuts that are forcing Sefton Council to look for innovative solutions to its funding crisis, then when it does he attempts to smear it in this fashion. There is also something very strange about his trying to appear like the Neighbourhood Watch Officer by day, having kicked the door in and stolen the silver at night.”
The Strand purchase is part of the regeneration plan for Bootle which has high levels of deprivation and should be praised for its intent, says Cllr Welsh:
“He clearly has no answer to the financial dilemma his party and the Tories have created for the council, preferring instead to criticise from the sidelines. In addition, Cllr Pugh seems to treat any action to regenerate areas of Sefton other than Southport with derision, despite the fact that both towns have development plans that are being implemented by Sefton. They could both move a lot quicker if he and his allies had not voted to slash local funding which will be £233m lost to Sefton by 2020, a simply staggering amount.”
His comments were echoed by Labour’s prospective candidate for Norwood, Mhairi Doyle MBE, who said:
“It’s surprising that Cllr Pugh referred to the Strand deal as it’s essential purpose is to bring benefit to residents and so wouldn’t be affected by the new rules it seems but it’s little surprise that John Pugh is yet again backing a Tory plan, it’s what he does. They have tag-teamed to oversee the destruction of local services and then locally both parties publically hand-wring at the ensuing problems, leaving Labour to try and cope with the mess they’ve created. It’s quite astonishing to behold really.”
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