Proposed by Councillor Andrew Hodson

Seconded by Councillor Ian Lewis

(1)  Council notes that, instead of ending ‘Boom and Bust’ Labour brought us to the brink of bankruptcy. They doubled the national debt and left Britain with the biggest budget deficit in the G20. We are spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour's debt. This is Labour's legacy.

(2)  Ed Miliband and Alan Johnson were at the heart of the Labour Government that created this mess and they have no credible plan to clean it up. They disagree over whether to have a graduate tax or not, whether to have a 50p tax or not and whether unions should elect Labour's leader or not. We know what they are against but we don't know what they're for.

(3)  If we listened to Labour, our debt would be almost £100 billion higher by the end of the Parliament and we would be paying £4 billion more in debt interest alone by the time of the next election - money that goes to foreign creditors to help pay for their schools and hospitals rather than our own. Their approach would take us back to the brink of bankruptcy - that would mean less growth, less investment and fewer jobs.

(4)  Council further notes that, since losing control of the Council, the Labour Party has failed to offer solutions to the challenges arising from their Government’s failure and, indeed, have failed to recognise that some of these challenges even exist.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Anne McArdle

Seconded by Councillor Ann McLachlan

Delete all existing text and replace with the following:

(1)  Council acknowledges that the global recession was caused by the failure of the sub-prime mortgage market in America and the actions of the banks and bankers who took unacceptable risks in the pursuit of short term financial gain. It if had not been for the actions of the Labour Government in bailing out Northern Rock and subsequently other banks, then the financial stability of this country would have been very close to collapse.

(2)  Council should recognise that Labour’s real legacy is one of new schools, of new hospitals, of high employment, low interest rates, pensioners lifted out of the poverty they were in after 18 years of a Tory Government.

(3)  The Labour Government acknowledged that the deficit had to be tackled, but not in a way that would asset strip the public sector, causing the loss of thousands of jobs, and decimating services to the people of the Wirral.

(4)  Council further notes that the Labour Group has, since May, repeatedly asserted the urgent need to address the ever increasing budget shortfall and that the ConDem administration have been found wanting in their strategy to tackle the shortfall, preferring instead to govern by press release.

(5)  Council notes that the country’s finances were clearly in better shape than the Coalition Government claimed as they have recently agreed to lend Ireland £7bn, to be repaid over 4 years, as part of a rescue package to bolster their ailing economy.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Mark Johnston

Seconded by Councillor Peter Reisdorf

Add:

(5)  Finally, Council notes that the Liberal Democrats, as part of the Coalition Government, have taken a number of steps to increase fairness in our society, alongside the measures necessary to deal with Labour's legacy of debt, including:

• Raising the starting threshold for income tax,
• Increasing top rate capital gains tax;
• Linking pension increases to inflation, 2.5% or wages, whichever is the greatest
• A £2.5bn pupil premium targeted at children in greatest need
• A massive programme of constitutional reform including a referendum on fairer votes.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment proposed by Councillor McArdle was put and lost (24:40) (One abstention).

The amendment proposed by Councillor Johnston was put and carried (40:24) (One abstention).

The motion, as amended, was then put and carried (40:24) (One abstention).

Resolved (40:24:1) –

(1)  Council notes that, instead of ending ‘Boom and Bust’ Labour brought us to the brink of bankruptcy. They doubled the national debt and left Britain with the biggest budget deficit in the G20. We are spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour's debt. This is Labour's legacy.

(2)  Ed Miliband and Alan Johnson were at the heart of the Labour Government that created this mess and they have no credible plan to clean it up. They disagree over whether to have a graduate tax or not, whether to have a 50p tax or not and whether unions should elect Labour's leader or not. We know what they are against but we don't know what they're for.

(3)  If we listened to Labour, our debt would be almost £100 billion higher by the end of the Parliament and we would be paying £4 billion more in debt interest alone by the time of the next election - money that goes to foreign creditors to help pay for their schools and hospitals rather than our own. Their approach would take us back to the brink of bankruptcy - that would mean less growth, less investment and fewer jobs.

(4)  Council further notes that, since losing control of the Council, the Labour Party has failed to offer solutions to the challenges arising from their Government’s failure and, indeed, have failed to recognise that some of these challenges even exist.

(5)  Finally, Council notes that the Liberal Democrats, as part of the Coalition Government, have taken a number of steps to increase fairness in our society, alongside the measures necessary to deal with Labour's legacy of debt, including:

• Raising the starting threshold for income tax,
• Increasing top rate capital gains tax;
• Linking pension increases to inflation, 2.5% or wages, whichever is the greatest
• A £2.5bn pupil premium targeted at children in greatest need
• A massive programme of constitutional reform including a referendum on fairer votes.