Conservatives Call for Labour Resignations in Council Finance Row

Hey folks! So, there’s been quite a stir in Warrington recently. The Conservatives are demanding that the Labour leaders of the council step down over some serious financial issues. It all started when a letter from a Government minister got leaked, expressing major concerns about the council’s mounting debt. Apparently, by the end of 2026, they’re looking at a whopping £2.3 billion in debt! Yikes!

Now, the Conservative Group is not happy about this at all. They’re calling for the council leader, Cllr Russ Bowden, and the deputy leader, Cllr Cathy Mitchell, to resign. They believe that these leaders are responsible for the mess and that it’s time for a change.

But hold on a sec, the Labour group is fighting back. They’re saying that these investments were necessary to keep services running smoothly in Warrington. They want the full report to be released and accuse the Conservatives of playing politics with the leaked letter. Drama, drama, drama!

This isn’t the first time the Conservatives have called for resignations. Last February, after the collapse of council-backed Together Energy, Cllr Nigel Balding, the leader of the Conservative Group, proposed a motion of no confidence. So, tensions have been brewing for a while.

The Tories have highlighted a series of scandals that they claim have rocked the council. They mention the investment in Redwood Bank, which apparently took a big hit, while other shareholders made out like bandits. They also point out mistakes in the business case for a planned £65 million investment in a solar energy park. Oops!

But wait, there’s more! The Conservatives say that the council’s attempt to subsidize LiveWire CIC went against competition rules. And they’re not done yet. They also claim that the council’s attempt to ‘novate’ a huge loan to the founder of The Hut Group was seriously flawed. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, they reveal that the council has been investing in junk bonds. Yikes, again!

Cllr Balding is not mincing his words. He’s saying that Warrington needs a change of course, and that won’t happen with Cllr Bowden and Cllr Mitchell in charge. He’s calling on them to step down and let someone else take the reins.

Cllr Ken Critchley, the finance spokesperson for the Conservatives, is also chiming in. He’s blaming the Labour policy of borrowing to invest for the current mess. According to him, it’s resulted in high-risk, low-return investments. Ouch!

But the Labour leaders are not backing down. Cllr Mitchell says that the investments have actually put £23 million back into services each year. She argues that while the investments carry some risk, they’ve performed well, even during tough times like the pandemic and economic crashes. She also points out that the Conservatives have never presented an alternative budget or offered any positive ideas. Shots fired!

So, there you have it, folks. The Conservatives are demanding resignations, accusing the Labour leaders of poor financial decision-making. The Labour group is defending their investments, claiming they’re necessary to save services. It’s a battle of words and a whole lot of drama in Warrington. Let’s see how this all plays out!