City council leadership changes hands (From Daily Echo)

City council leadership changes hands

5:52pm Wednesday 20th February 2008

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THE leadership of Southampton City Council tonight changed hands as the Tories were kicked out of power by a Labour and Liberal Democrat pact.

Veteran Conservative Councillor Alec Samuels was deposed after just nine months in office when his group failed to pass their spending plans for the next year.

The opposition groups found enough common ground to pass an alternative budget and form the authority's first ever joint administration.

Labour group leader June Bridle becomes council leader with Lib Dem group leader Adrian Vinson taking a top Cabinet post.

The Conservatives proposals for a ten per cent discount for pensioner households and the lowest ever council tax rise in the history of the authority at 2.99 per cent were both defeated.

Instead the average Band D household will face a 3.49 per cent rise in council tax to £1,174 - an extra £40.

The bill comes to £1,368 when police and fire charges are added.

See tomorrow's Daily Echo for full details of the budget, the city's new look leadership and what it means for you.

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