• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

News and entertainment worth sharing – York and North Yorkshire

  • News
  • Radio
  • Hero Awards
  • Things to do
  • Community
  • More
    • Food & drink
    • Business
  • About
    • Comments
    • Advertise
    • Contact us
    • Corrections & complaints
  • Radio
  • WIN
  • Vouchers
  • Listen live »
City of York Council voter ID campaign

Promise of a free school meal for every York primary pupil now a ‘hope’

Wed 13 Sep 2023 @ 5:02am - News, Politics
Adam Laver - Local Democracy Reporter

York council leader Claire Douglas

The leader of City of York Council says her administration will not spend beyond its means.

At a media briefing, council leader Claire Douglas made it clear that although Labour’s manifesto pledges are still a priority, the council will be fiscally responsible.

A key pledge before the May election was ensuring that every primary school child is given a free meal at midday.

York Theatre Royal

When asked if this pledge would be delivered by the next local elections in 2027, executive member for education Bob Webb said he is “very hopeful.”

But council leader Claire Douglas interjected with a slightly more cautious tone.

“We would like to,” she said.

“But we cannot spend money that we don’t have.

“It’s financial responsibility to take that very seriously and we’re absolutely committed to finding a way of doing it.

“But we also have to be cognizant of the environment that we find ourselves in.

“I don’t think the city would thank us if we committed millions of pounds to free school meals if we couldn’t deliver children’s services, for example.”

The briefing was held to show the council’s four-year plan amid forecasts that it will overspend by £11.4m without serious money saving.

Finance lead Cllr Katie Lomas said: “All of the grand ambitions we all have for our city are massively constrained by the level of funding we receive from the government and we are one of the lowest-funded upper-tier authorities in the country.”

In fact, it is the lowest-funded local authority in England.

Cllr Lomas added: “That means we have to demonstrate sound financial management in order to carry on running the city and make decisions in the interest of those who need us most.”

She said while making sure “we’re not the next Birmingham City Council,” the council needs to “maintain a strong focus on what the people in the city who elected us want.”

Lib Dem group leader Nigel Ayre said: “York Labour’s manifesto pledges are now in tatters and it is clear from the draft Council Plan that it was never their intention to follow through with any of the promises they made to the public.

“This type of politics where you overpromise and underdeliver is exactly what causes people to lose trust in the entire political process.”

The City of York Council’s four-year plan will be put to the executive on 14 September.

Wed 13 Sep, 2023

Footer

YorkMix
News 01904 848 766
Email YorkMix news »
5-6 King's Court, Shambles, York  YO1 7LD
YorkMix Radio
General enquiries 01904 375 029
Studio/competitions 01904 375 030
Email YorkMix Radio »
Selby Superbowl, Bawtry Road, Selby  YO8 8NA
YorkMix is a trading name of YorkMix Media Ltd
Registered in England
Company number: 07814727
VAT number: 154 0364 34
© York Sound Ltd

Copyright © 2023 YorkMix Media Ltd

  • Privacy policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT