After much debate, the City council tax will rise by 16.6% this year. At a time of wage freezes and rising utility bills and the Trussell Trust working their socks off handing out food boxes.

The Conservative’s had to eat humble pie though. Their budget included reversing paying the lowest staff members the living wage (about £7.65 an hour), which would have cost about £8,000 a year. The independent councillors (who all supported the Tory budget) made the Tories include this in the budget, so those staff members will get the living wage.

I did not support this budget rise of 16.6%. One comment that I have received was, that they wish their wages had risen by a similar amount.