SIX Green councillors have said they will stand steadfast and continue to vote against any budget containing cuts at today’s reconvened budget council.

The councillors, which includes the party’s deputy convenor Ruth Buckley, planning committee chairman Phelim MacCafferty and lead member for adult social care Rob Jarrett, have said they will maintain their opposition to the budget options currently on the table including the 1.99% rise compromise agreement.

The opposition from the group, which also includes lead member for community safety Liz Wakefield, Preston Park councillor Mike Jones and Goldsmid councillor Alex Phillips, has received the backing of a militant councillor from Liverpool who refused to pass a cuts budget in the 1980s.

The revised budget offer still hangs in the balance and is likely to be decided by just a couple of votes later today.

The group’s stance could still mean that a budget will not be passed this afternoon with Conservative councillors also expected to vote against.

Coun MacCafferty said the cuts would hurt the “most vulnerable members of our society” and it was a councillors’ “duty of care” to residents to reject further cuts to public service funding while Coun Buckley said many residents do not agree with austerity measures and the group were exercising their “democratic mandate” to say no to “savage cuts”.

Coun Philips added: “With women facing 85% of the ConDem Government's cuts, and vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities being disproportionately affected, it is time to say enough is enough and to refuse to implement further cuts coming down from central government".

Who is Derek Hatton?

FIREMAN Derek Hatton became the deputy leader of Liverpool City Council in 1983. He was a member of the Labour Party and the Militant organisation. He joined the rate-capping rebellion in 1985 and the council refused to make a rate increase in June – setting an illegal deficit budget which committed the council to spending £30 million in excess of
its income. Members claimed the excess represented money ‘stolen’ by central government when suppor t grants for Liverpool were reduced. The policy catapulted Mr Hatton and the council into massive media attention and conflict with the then- Conservative government. This was widely seen as a negotiating tactic but it was fiercely
condemned by Labour leader Neil Kinnock – who expelled Mr Hatton from the par ty. Liverpool’s Labour councillors were banned by the district auditor from serving in public office for five years. In 1993, Mr Hatton was accused of corruption during his time as deputy leader. After a lengthy trial he was found not guilty. Nicknamed “Degsy”, the 67-year- old Liverpudlian is now a motivational speaker.