Liverpool rebel Labour councillors could form opposition
- Published
Council elections will held across Liverpool in May
A group of Labour councillors who defied party orders by voting against Liverpool City Council's budget have said they may form an opposition group.
Seven councillors were suspended in March, saying they could not support a charge for green bin collections.
They also said they could not support plans for more money to be added to the council's reserves while people were struggling with the cost of living.
The Labour Party said it would not comment on internal party procedures.
The council announced in March the £40 annual green bin charge would raise £1.7m towards £24.5m worth of savings the council needed to make in next year's budget.
Liverpool mayor Joanne Anderson said the council had a duty to set a legal and balanced budget, adding that there was help available for people who could not afford to pay the new charge.
'Left dangling'
Of the so-called rebels, George Knibb has left the party and Lindsey Melia, has quit as a councillor completely.
The remaining five have written to the Labour Party, saying that, if their future is not decided by 19 April, they will form an opposition group.
Councillor Alan Gibbons, who also voted against the budget, said they had been waiting for a decision for four weeks.
He said: "We did something very straight - we said we can't vote for this budget and expected a straight answer in terms of any sanctions or punishment.
"We take full responsibility, we knew what we were doing - but to leave us dangling like this is totally wrong".
An annual £40 charge for green bins has been controversial
Mr Gibbons said he had received correspondence from Labour, where the party apologised for the delay "in getting back to you with the allegations against you", and said they would be sent "as soon as possible".
But he said his actions were a matter of public record and not allegations.
"For all of us, our heart beats red," he said, "but what unites us is the vote over this budget."
There are currently 62 Labour councillors in Liverpool, from a total of 90.
It is not clear whether the rebels would join forces with other independents such as the former Lord Mayor Anna Rothery, who left Labour in 2021.
The row comes after two by-elections in the city where Labour saw its majorities dented, most notably in Warbreck where the Liberal Democrats came within 40 votes of winning.
According to party activists, one of the biggest issues on the doorstep was the garden waste charge.
Council elections are due to be held across the region on 5 May.
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