Thursday 28th April 2011
Cash-strapped councils on Merseyside have been asked to sponsor the Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool. Labour is hoping income from the Conference will help to plug its own £16 million black hole. Meanwhile, Labour MPs complain that councils in the region do not have enough money for services such as Sure Start.
The Leader of Wirral Council, Jeff Green, received his letter from the General Secretary of the Labour Party, Ray Collins, with an invitation to an ‘open day’ to discuss ‘commercial opportunities’ with ‘independent experts offering advice on making the most out of the event for Exhibitors and Sponsors’.
Cllr. Green said: “Labour’s hypocrisy is breathtaking. For months, their MPs in Merseyside have been complaining that councils do not have enough money for really important services such as Sure Start, free swimming or libraries. Yet, their leaders nationally, believe we are so awash with cash that we will hand some of it over to the Labour Party to pay for their conference in Liverpool.”
“I do not know about the other councils in Merseyside but Wirral Council will not be using Council Taxpayers money to advertise, sponsor or subsidise the Labour Conference. Our priority is to provide the services that people in Wirral want while freezing Council Tax and avoiding compulsory redundancies.”
You can read the Labour Party letter to Wirral’s Council Leader, Cllr. Jeff Green below:
