Latest News - South Gloucestershire Labour Councillors

Correcting fake history

The Conservative Council Leader has lately been referencing a so-called “Labour-Lib Dem Coalition” that allegedly ran South Gloucestershire sometime. No such Coalition ever existed. Labour Group Leader Councillor Pat Rooney made this speech to Cabinet this afternoon which clearly spells out why this is a fantasy. “I have heard the…

Council Leadership “rubbishing their Tory predecessors”

A former Chair of South Gloucestershire Council says that the authority’s current Conservative leadership is publicly rubbishing their party predecessors. Councillor Ian Boulton, who was Chair in 2013/14, has made the comments after a Council meeting in which the ruling Tories repeatedly criticised the failings of previous administrations. Councillor Boulton…

Cabinet chooses not to address budget chasm

South Gloucestershire’s Conservative Cabinet has backed away from taking a major step to deal with a deficit in the budget for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). In a recent public consultation exercise the Tory-run council expressed its preference to move £3 million from the budget for mainstream…

School crisis “naïve” comment criticised

South Gloucestershire’s Conservative leader is being criticised for branding those who believe a recent BBC2 documentary exposing school pressures as “naïve”. The six-part School series was filmed over a year in three South Gloucestershire schools and has raised a national debate about the stresses that state schools face. At yesterday’s…

Mayor urged to involve locals in High Street plans

The six councillors representing Kingswood town centre have urged Metro Mayor Tim Bowles and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to involve them and local community groups in a new pilot to regenerate their high street. They are unhappy that an outline business case has been submitted without the…

MP’s conversion on Patchway road closure ‘cynically timed’

A local councillor who has consistently campaigned against the Tories’ closure of a road on his patch says he is suspicious about the local MP’s claims to want it reopened. Highwood Road in Patchway was closed to most traffic back in 2012 in order to become a bus priority route.…

Concern over care providers’ financial difficulties

Labour’s spokesperson for adult care services on South Gloucestershire Council is raising his concern about the possible impact of worrying news that a growing number of major care home providers are in financial difficulties. At the last South Gloucestershire Council meeting, Councillor Martin Farmer asked if the Conservative Executive Councillor…

Tribute paid as councillor resigns

The leader of South Gloucestershire’s Labour councillors has paid tribute to a colleague who has stood down due to ongoing health issues. Councillor Eve Orpen, who has been undergoing cancer treatment for over two years, submitted her resignation from the council today. Councillor Orpen says: “I have found it difficult…

Make Kingswood high street pilot, says Labour

Kingswood’s Labour councillors are urging the West of England’s Conservative decision makers to select their town centre as South Gloucestershire’s pilot area for high street investment. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) today announced that up to £10m is set to be invested in boosting the region’s high streets,…

Rough deal for rough sleepers

Rough sleepers in South Gloucestershire may not benefit from the government’s latest initiative, the district’s Conservative council has conceded. At the Council meeting last week, Labour councillor April Begley questioned the impact on South Gloucestershire of the national Rough Sleepers Strategy, launched back in August. She was told that the…

Council leaders ‘confused about their own decisions’

South Gloucestershire’s Conservative Cabinet members have given confusing information about past decisions, and when put on the spot seem uncertain about the number of individual decisions ahead, according to the district’s Labour Group. At the Council meeting held this week, Labour asked Cabinet members to quantify the number of ‘in…

Mangotsfield bus row exposes ‘breath-taking hypocrisy’

Labour’s leader on South Gloucestershire Council has slammed the Tories for ‘breath-taking hypocrisy’ for supporting a bus cut whilst benefitting from fully-subsidised services in their own area. At the Council meeting last night the Conservative councillor for Almondsbury attacked Labour in response to the party’s recent campaign for the revival…

Housing challenges outweigh achievements

A leading Labour councillor in South Gloucestershire is warning the Conservative council not to be too self-congratulatory over news that it has presided over the construction of 368 affordable houses over the past year. Councillor Martin Farmer, who leads for the Labour Group on housing issues, says: “Labour Group…