Historic meeting to discuss budget
LIVERPOOL councillors sat down yesterday for a historic meeting to set a joint budget.
The ruling Labour administration, the Liberal Democrats and the minority Green Party gathered with officials to set out a budget for the coming financial year. It was believed to be the first time in living memory that all three groups had united and put aside their dif ferences to work on the city’s finances.
The city treasury has spent the past month examining scores of spreadsheets provided by Whitehall departments to work out the total impact of changes in central government funding.
The council has to cut £91m from £400m of its £1bn-plus budget.
Council leader Joe Anderson said: “I am pleased the other party leaders have agreed to work with us on the budget to examine every line of expenditure, and work out how we can make savings which protect the most vulnerable in the city.”
