Budget Council

Tonight should see the culmination of a rather bizarre process. The Administration will finally reveal its Budget proposals for the coming year. For some reason the budget process this year has been different from all the previous years I have been on the Council.

• Because of delays Overview Panels were not able to comment on the draft policy budget as it concerned them, so members specialising in areas of Council activity have had no chance until today to discuss in public the Administration's proposals. There must have been discussions inside the Lib Dem group, one feels, but the rest of us (and the public) don't know what goes on there.
• Overview Panel chairs did get to attend a meeting of the Community Leadership and Resources OP (see My Other Blog at www.pauljohnston.info) but time was necessarily restricted and only three Executive members turned up. Where were the other four?

Whatever, it looks as though we may well end up with the largest rise and the highest Council Tax in London. Doubtless some of the Lib Dem bloggers will find a way of presenting this as a cut. We shall see!