Jeremy Hilton repports

“Last night’s meeting at Gloucester City Council was interesting. Our no confidence motion in the Tory administration was defeated by a combined vote of Tory and Labour councillors.

Gloucester is one of two councils that haven’t filed audited accounts for 2011/12. The detail presented in the Tory draft budget for next year is also palpable. The council is facing a financial tsunami.

When it came to it, Labour bottled it, and saved the Tory leader’s neck.

Later the Tories voted against a Lib Dem amendment praising the coalition government for raising the income tax threshold to £9,440 from April this year, saving the average earner £600 per year, compared to income tax bills under Labour.

Looks like Labour and the Tories have a grubby deal on the city council to keep the Tory leader in office and principles can go out of the window.”