Bankrupt Labour Birmingham Council12 Feb 2025 01:42
“Rubbish in the streets, library doors slammed shut and vital support services decimated from cradle to grave. These are just some of the symptoms of a tough period for the residents of England’s second largest city.
When Birmingham City Council effectively filed for bankruptcy almost 18 months ago, it announced £300m of cuts over two years – affecting almost every area of public life.
During that same period, the council is on course to stuff another £283m into gold-plated pensions for staff.
Birmingham has one of the most expensive schemes in the country — it spent around £1 in every £3 of council tax receipts on staff pension contributions last year. Officials receive a guaranteed, inflation-linked income for life when they retire.
The figures serve as a kick in the teeth for local residents, who face a 7.5pc rise in their council tax bills this year – adding £134 to the average home.
The savage programme of cuts started in 2024-25 as the local authority desperately shedded £149m of spending.
Yet that same year, figures suggest that council staff enjoyed pension contributions of around £142m – almost enough to plug the shortfall.
Darwin Friend, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said it was time that the schemes were closed.
He said: “Taxpayers are sick of coughing up huge sums to support overly generous pension schemes for public sector workers.
“While residents face huge rate rises, millions of pounds are being diverted from frontline services to the golden nest eggs of council officials.
“Rather than cutting services to fund these schemes, they should be closed to new entrants and the benefits brought into line with those available to the private sector workers who pay for them.”
Rachel won’t go after public sector pensions because she has one and because they’re her working voter base. A truly despicable woman.
Sign In
Follow the stocks
