It is debatable as to whether they will accept it given their fondness for blaming the Green Party for historic decisions taken in tandem between Green and Labour councillors, and their apparent reluctance to vote in favour of any Green motion put forward at council meetings however much they agree with them, but the offer is a genuine one. We’ve worked together before for the benefit of residents and can do so again.
Labour will need all the help it can get in the coming weeks as council officers are left with little choice but to suggest a host of wide-ranging budget savings to mitigate against the worst excesses of the latest batch of cruel Conservative cuts. Cuts will have to be made. But that doesn’t mean they should be made without support or scrutiny.
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For anyone who isn’t aware of how a budget is set, it’s a relatively simple process, but one with huge ramifications for local people. Drawing up a budget is like painting the Golden Gate Bridge – as soon as you think the job is done, it is time to start again. Council officers work all year to identify areas where savings can be made (or at least they have had to during 13 years of successive Tory governments) which are then presented to the administration.
In previous years, a draft would be published, and feedback invited from local people, community groups, and opposition councillors. Usually, councillors from different parties would meet regularly, communicate through hundreds of emails, establish whether each party has non-negotiable red lines, and work together to produce a budget in the best interests of the city. Each party can table amendments to the budget, which are then voted on, before the council arrives at a final version. That was certainly what happened last year, when the Green administration listened to constructive feedback from across the council chamber, and a budget was passed with Labour’s support and input from councillors of all political persuasions.
There were of course areas we disagreed with Labour on, but last year’s budget simply would not have passed without their votes. There always will be differences of opinion, but in administration we recognised the fact it was only right and proper to work collaboratively and that no single party has a monopoly on good ideas. We also listened to local people and community groups and adapted the budget to reflect local feeling. The resulting budget was a joint effort, despite what Labour would have you believe. In fact, current Labour leader Cllr Bella Sankey voted in favour of it.
The next budget-setting process is well underway, but opposition councillors and community groups haven’t had as much as a hint of what will be cut. And make no mistake, a lot of cherished local services will be. It is vital councillors work together on this – not least because opposition councillors represent the majority (53 per cent) of voters in the city. If you are reading this Cllr Sankey, our offer of support is real and well-intended. In administration we did all we could to pursue ambitious policies for the benefit of local people and future generations while passing on an authority as well-placed as possible to weather any future funding cuts – efforts which were praised by the council’s independent auditors in a recent report. I realise Labour has a majority and can pass whatever it chooses, but surely it can’t hurt to at least sit down together? You never know, we may have some good ideas. Labour voted in favour of our previous budget after all. If I remember rightly, they didn’t even table the maximum number of budget amendments allowed to them.
The Greens and Labour should have much in common. Looking back at previous Argus columns from 2023 – written by both me and Cllr Sankey – and wider political coverage in The Argus, however, it is clear how tempting it is for two parties competing for the same votes to try and put clear distance between themselves. This it isn’t always in the best interests of residents, and in the case of Labour, is sometimes at odds with how the party has voted previously. It also isn’t the type of politics people want to see from their elected officials.
So, to start the year I’ll promise this: where the Greens and Labour can work together in the best interests of local people, we will be ready and willing. When Labour proposes something at a council meeting which I agree with, I’ll vote for it – as I always have. It would be nice for Labour to commit to similar.
Cllr Steve Davis is the leader of the opposition and Green Party convener on Brighton and Hove City Council.
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