Responding to a denial by Bradford MDC council leader David Green that there was not £183 million in the council's usable reserves and therefore an urgent need to impose a 10% budget cut George Galloway countered. 'In one way he is right. In the latest Bradford council accounts the total has risen from £183m to £191m. It says so clearly on Page 14. He could ask his colleague Lynne Smith, who actually signed the accounts, to explain it to him. Perhaps he was off the day they did sums.'
Galloway continued: 'Green also says that the council has not underspent by £86m compared to its own budgets. Despite this being clearly stated in both sets of accounts. They have added to this by again underspending by £5m in the most recent financial year and once again they have simply added this to reserves.'
Green has attempted to throw a smokescreen over the accounts when the truth is, Galloway said, he is simply doing the Tories job for them. 'This won't wash, the people of Bradford won't buy it and the truth will out – as Green will at the next election.'
