Reform budget plans "a risk to council services"

The recent council budget meeting exposed Portsmouth Reform councillors inexperience and nearly slashed vital local services.
A bungled set of proposals would have blown a £6.9 million hole in funding, putting everyday essentials firmly on the chopping block. Despite backing an above-inflation council tax rise, Reform’s plans were so risky the independent Director of Finance was forced to issue a public warning. The message was blunt: press ahead and services would suffer. 

The threatened cuts would have hit what residents value most. Weekly bin collections could have faced the axe and community centres in Buckland and Fratton risked losing funding and shutting their doors. Youth services, libraries and adventure playgrounds were also in the firing line. However, Lib Dem councillors stepped in to stop the damage. 

Councillor Matthew Winnington said: “Under the Lib Dems, community wardens, carers services, youth clubs and libraries stay open. These are exactly the services Reform would have had to cut.”

After a heated debate, Liberal Democrats blocked the proposals, protecting frontline services in the city. For Portsmouth families, it was a narrow escape — and a stark warning.