The budget debate concluded dramatically as HRA were punished for poor political judgement. The Maggie Thatcher approach, ‘There is no alternative,’ nearly cost them power.
Ray Morgon has inherited the wreckage of George Osborne’s Austerity programme. Havering’s borrowing might increase by £88m to pay for adult and children’s social care along with the homelessness crisis. Everyone knows that’s expensive but no-one knows how much because it’s demand led.
The discussion about Havering’s £200m budget pivoted around food waste and libraries. David Taylor (1 hour 47)1 said HRA made political choices. The choices are to close three libraries or introduce the food waste collection six months earlier than required.
The Conservatives demanded that food waste collection begins on 1st April 2026. This saves £1.27m.2 By not supplying bin liners a further £270,000 is saved. (See addendum) Three libraries could have their closure paused for a year.3
HRA went to public consultation on closure. 83% voted against but HRA’s ‘Maggie Thatcher Tendency’ led them to ignore the consultation. HRA have forgotten they’re in a minority. The vote on Labour’s amendment was a sharp reminder. The vote tied at 24:24 and HRA won on the casting vote of the Mayor.
Seven councillors were absent, including former Conservative Leader Damian White. If he’d turned up HRA would have faced a vote of confidence and possibly lost power.
Philip Ruck (1:08)4 taunted HRA with being in the pocket of the officers. And the papers confirm he has a point. The Labour amendment led to this comment from the principal officer,
“Although the saving is financially viable, as the Council’s S151 Officer, I am unable to recommend this.”
Amazing!
S151 officers only advise whether amendments make financial sense. Philip said, “Officers advise and politicians decide.” HRA have neither the confidence or ability to reject officer advice. They tried to defend the politically indefensible.
Addendum: Labour’s amendment (edited)
Proposal. The Labour Group proposes the following budget amendments: That the saving closing South Hornchurch Library is reversed
That the saving closing Harold Wood Library is reversed
To reduce the Capitalisation Direction
That Gidea Park Library is re-purposed for alternative use
Total costs. This would be financed by: Removal of costs of bin liners from the Food Waste collection £0.270m
Source (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Council, 26/02/2025 19:30 p983
Best Speech: David Taylor
Notes
1 Annotator Player All times relate to this webcast
2 (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Council, 26/02/2025 19:30 p981
3 Martin Goode Havering’s Council Tax Meeting, 26th February 2025 (part one) – Politics in Havering At 58 minutes said that these were headline savings and didn’t include decommissioning costs.
Politics in Havering 
The Labour amendment gave the HRA an opportunity to honour their election promises to save our libraries, but instead they chose to prioritise their “climate change goals” with a new £7 million food waste collection scheme.
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I sense there is more to it than *climate change*. It is actually agreeing with government policy, which they chose to implement 6 months early for operational reasons.
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Yes it’s agreeing with government policy (and having to borrow to fund the underfunded statutory scheme) and beyond the legal duty (caddy-liners are optional) to achieve the HRA’s own “climate change goals” as stated by Cllr Mugglestone when presenting the scheme and after Globalist HRA declared a so-called “climate emergency”!
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