CONSERVATIVE and Labour councillors will unite to save the office of Brighton and Hove’s mayor from budget cuts.

The two groups will table a joint amendment at Thursday’s council budget meeting to save support staff for the civic role.

The rescue bid forms part of the Conservative group’s amendments, which follow the proposals of their Labour rivals in keeping public toilets open, maintaining funding for the Pride Community Parade and freezing parking charges.

Despite the common ground, the two groups are still said to be in “fundamental disagreement” over council tax rises.

Labour group leader, councillor Warren Morgan, said the proposals showed the Tories “had no ideas of their own” and questions remained on how they would cover the £1 million shortfall between a 1.99% rise and a council tax freeze.

The Conservatives yesterday laid out their 2015/16 budget proposals, which include a council tax freeze and reform to council services like Cityclean refuse and recycling service.

Funding for voluntary groups working with vulnerable young people and respite breaks for disabled children and their families would also be protected by the Tory budget.

Other proposals include continued funding for planting new trees and reducing senior management costs through a restructuring of the assistant chief executive’s department.

Current budget proposals aim to save £102,000 by reducing the mayor’s office to “basic functions” with the removal of support staff.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Conservative group leader, said his party’s ideas offered the best balance between affordability for residents and preserving and improving frontline services.

He also called on the council to do “much more” to work with the city’s not-for profit sector.

He added: “This failure to modernise some key services, as the vast majority of other councils have done, has cost this city dear and our proposals seek to show residents there is another way.”

Conservative Ann Norman said the other parties could not justify tax increases at a time when other household bills were all falling.

Coun Morgan said: “It seems that the Conservatives have had no ideas of their own and have simply copied Labour amendments put out last week.

“We eagerly wait to find out where the Conservatives will make the additional £1m worth of cuts required to implement a council tax freeze.”