LAST Thursday, Bradford’s budget was laid out for all to see, warts and all. The Labour group had nothing but praise for itself.

Why any of them could actually think that when reducing funding by £29 million to the most vulnerable in our society, while increasing spending to a massive £94 million on capital projects, beggars belief.

On top of that revelation, 153 jobs are to go in their “cost-cutting exercise”.

But it doesn’t end there. Oh no, they are now going to increase council tax by 5.99 per cent. You can tell things are bad when their normal allies, the Lib Dems, refuse to back their wild ideas.

But what reason has Labour given for this enormous increase in council tax? Well it’s the same old excuses that are always made – it’s not us, it’s national government.

Well Councillor Hinchcliffe, it wasn’t national government that told you to spend £94 million on vanity capital projects in the city centre; it wasn’t national government that told you to cut spending to the most vulnerable by £29 million – that was you and your Labour group that did it all by yourselves. The buck, Ms Hinchcliffe, stops clearly at your door and no amount of spin can alter that.

I sincerely hope the electorate remember this devastating budget when it comes to the elections in May. This will be the only time the people can be heard and bring a verdict on the treatment afforded to them by this outrageous budget.

Now is not the time for anyone to roll over and follow in the footsteps of their parents, it’s our children’s livelihoods that are at stake.

So don’t sit back and allow the Labour leadership to get away with such a callous off-the-wall budget and win the day just because they have a majority.

We in Keighley need to get as far away as possible from this money-grabbing district, and the sooner the better.

COUNCILLOR BRIAN MORRIS Keighley West