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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.