Tories propose political pay cuts to save youth services

Labour-controlled Brighton Council is due to consider controversial plans to cut the local authority's youth services budget by £645,000.

But as part a series of amendments aimed at reducing the level of the cuts, the Conservative group is calling for a reduction in councillors' allowances.

The Conservative group says the proposed amendments, which also include removing a low-emission discount on residents' parking permits for diesel vehicles and axing the council's neighbourhoods, inclusion, communities and equality committee, would reduce the cuts by £190,000.

Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald said: "What we are proposing relates to special allowances [for politicians] and there are one or two where we think there is a bit of repetition in there."

The group's finance spokesman and deputy leader Andrew Wealls added that the amendments are needed as the council's proposed changes to youth services "will add to the council's costs further down the line".

Documents being presented to this week's full council meeting concede that the proposed youth services cuts will mean the end of universal youth provision in the Sussex city.

Instead, youth service funding will focus on specialist, targeted work, covering issues including sexual health, substance abuse and employability.

The council has also pledged to continue to commission youth work for "protected groups" such as black and minority ethnic and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people.

The council documents add: "Funding to a number of community and voluntary service organisations which provide youth work in the city will be significantly cut.

"Some of those services may not be able to continue in their current form or at all unless they can find alternative sources of funding."

Brighton Council has been contacted for comment.