Leader Dennis Jones gives impassioned speech on budget

Peterborough Telegraph

Watch Leader Dennis Jones gives impassioned speech on budget - Peterborough Telegraph on Dailymotion

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00:00I think you've said almost everything that I possibly could say.

00:04This, I would suggest, most people in the chamber have already made their mind up, okay?

00:10Body language, the way you look at people, little things that have gone around.

00:15So this isn't really for people in the chamber.

00:17I don't think anybody is for turning at this point in time.

00:21I hope I'm wrong.

00:23But the thing is, we all go on about fight, flight or freeze, okay?

00:30Don't freeze.

00:33Don't flight.

00:34Don't fly.

00:35Come out fighting.

00:38Come out and join us in that fight.

00:40Raise your sights.

00:42Don't talk about one issue.

00:44As the Deputy Mayor has said, this is a budget for this city, wherever the money comes from.

00:51I can go through and I can pick issues with every single person in here.

00:56Thank you for supporting the Wombles.

00:58But I've brought Harry Machen and Mark Fishpole and others only last week into this chamber.

01:06We need to build our infrastructure, okay?

01:10All our infrastructure needs rebuilding.

01:12But we need to build our social infrastructure with no money.

01:18So we need volunteers.

01:20We need those people.

01:22I am passionate about net zero.

01:26I was a member of Greenpeace probably before Nicola was born.

01:30But the fact of the matter is, we have to work towards a sustainable future.

01:36And part of that sustainable future is a sustainable budget.

01:42And that is what we have to vote for tonight.

01:46Don't look too far down the road.

01:48You can throw stones at anything and anybody if you want to,

01:52as eloquently spoken by the Deputy Mayor this evening.

01:57I'd like to thank, as we've all done, I don't want to turn this into an Oscar speech,

02:02because it's about the officers.

02:05It's about the people of Burton and Midnight Oil.

02:08You know, Wayne will know, and anybody who's been in this position,

02:12that calls 8, 9, 10 o'clock at night.

02:15It ain't good news when the 151 officer is ringing you at 10 o'clock at night.

02:20It ain't good news.

02:22Let me tell you, it's lovely to hear from her, but not at 10 o'clock at night.

02:29A laugh of recognition.

02:31The Improvement Panel could not have been more supportive over the three years.

02:37They could not have given more to us, either through governance, through finances.

02:44And we know this ain't the right, you know, we know the finances aren't as good as it could be.

02:50We know where our reserves should be.

02:54And my goodness, Matt and the team, the CLT, we're pushing every inch of the way,

03:01sitting down with directors.

03:03Where can you find even more savings?

03:06Because we have, folks, a legal duty, an obligation to produce a balanced budget.

03:14And like I say, I'm sure Wayne, you know, doesn't want to be sat here now,

03:19but actually, you know, it's a job.

03:21We've got to do it.

03:23I enjoy it, and I endure it in equal measures.

03:26And I'd like to thank, and also, without wishing to embarrass,

03:29I'd like to congratulate Eleanor Kelly, you know, who, if you don't know,

03:34was awarded a Commander of the British Empire in the recent honours list.

03:42Not only has she done great stuff here, but probably a lot of people don't know,

03:46and I don't wish to embarrass, on the work she did with the survivors

03:50and the families of Grenfell.

03:52These are the kinds of things that go on under the waterline

03:56that people never see while we're looking at these issues.

04:00I love Itter Park.

04:02I use it regularly.

04:03I walk my dog there.

04:04I go into Central Park.

04:06These are places that mean a lot to me.

04:08I hate making cuts.

04:11And I go back to something, those of you, if you can do LGA training, do it.

04:16Because two things have stuck with me.

04:19Everybody comes into this business to make your world,

04:23and by turn, our world, a better place.

04:27And the biggest problems you often have is within your own party.

04:30So let's not call this a Labour budget.

04:34It isn't.

04:35It's a cross-party budget.

04:38We talk about the Mayor's car at item 7, and we saved £7.87.

04:44But the item below it, all-out elections, conveniently gets overlooked

04:49because there are some people that actually like campaigning all the year round,

04:53and they make a lot of money out of it.

04:56No names, no pack drill.

04:58They know who they are.

04:59But the fact is, and don't run away with the idea

05:02that the large parties whistle down a pit

05:05and Labour and Conservative have hot and cold running candidates coming up.

05:09They don't.

05:10We don't.

05:11The world doesn't look like that anymore.

05:14This is where, whatever your political hue,

05:17we've got to stand together on this one,

05:21and we have to put our differences aside.

05:25I don't want to make the cuts that we are proposing.

05:30But what I want you to do, don't fly, don't freeze.

05:35Come out as we're doing.

05:36Come out swinging.

05:37People have mentioned TK Maxx.

05:39People have mentioned things that have been systemic failures for years.

05:44Whoever sits in this seat.

05:47Rome wasn't built in a day, guys.

05:50It really wasn't.

05:51We all have to work towards these.

05:54Bring them to the table.

05:56And this one thing I will say is I've never been a fan of full council.

06:00Never.

06:00I think it's too much grandstanding.

06:03But what I have appreciated is when questions are asked of the Cabinet

06:08and they're asked of me,

06:09I've become keenly aware that it's a key part of the democratic process.

06:15This is what we're here for.

06:16We're here to be able to account.

06:20We are here to be questioned by members of the public.

06:24We are here.

06:25You know, we must suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

06:30That's the life we chose.

06:32There's nobody here who's not here by choice.

06:35And one of the things we must do is vote for a balanced budget.

06:41That is not an option.

06:44It's a legal, mature, responsible thing that we must do.

06:50And as our Section 151 officer departs for pastures new,

06:55as the improvement panel, you know, comes to its end,

07:00what we must do is we must continue that together

07:04with the financials, the FSWG.

07:07I'm not very keen on it either.

07:08But please, tonight, why vote against?

07:14What is your alternative?

07:16Why haven't you spoken up?

07:18Why haven't you held us to account if you really think it's a Labour budget?

07:22This is your grandstanding for your voters.

07:26In this chamber, you know what you need to do.

07:30And that is vote for a balanced budget,

07:33that irrespective of whose flag is flying over the town hall.

07:38Thank you, Mr Deputy Mayor.

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