Agenda item

Economic Growth

It was moved by Councillor Colin Ross, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar, that this Council:

(a)       believes that Liberal Democrats in Government are working to build a fairer society in a stronger economy;

(b)       notes that since the Liberal Democrats have joined Government over 1 million new private sector jobs have been created and 1 million people have started an apprenticeship;

(c)        highlights figures that demonstrate under the Coalition Government that the number of apprenticeships in Sheffield have increased by 54%;

(d)       welcomes measures announced in the Queen’s Speech last month that will help build a stronger economy;

(e)       understands that thousands of businesses across Sheffield will benefit from a cut in National Insurance Contributions, through the proposed introduction of a National Insurance employment allowance of £2,000; and

(f)        believes this measure will create jobs in Sheffield and undertakes to highlight the benefits to local businesses.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Jayne Dunn that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       regrets that the Liberal Democrats in Government have presided over the slowest economic recovery in 100 years and notes that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have declared the Chancellor’s fiscal plans are a “drag on growth” and warned that Britain is “a long way from a strong and sustainable recovery”;

(b)       believes this and their complete failure to produce a credible plan for economic growth has led to two and a half years of a flatlining economy;

(c)        notes that in March, the Office for Budget Responsibility halved the growth forecast for this year and downgraded it for next year too;

(d)       further notes that other countries are doing better with the UK economy now 2.6% below its pre-crisis peak and the USA 3.2% above;

(e)       regrets that unemployment is higher now than at the General  Election, with almost 1 million young people unemployed and nearly half a million people unemployed for more than two years, the highest figure since May 1997; and

(f)        believes that in addition to their national economic failure, the Liberal Democrats in Government have introduced a range of measures to the detriment of Sheffield’s economy including:

(i)            cutting the funding for regional economic development by two thirds;

(ii)          cancelling the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters;

(iii)       suspended a Government grant for the New Retail Quarter; and

(iv)       brought forward proposals to remove Sheffield as a protected name which was met by disdain within the local business community.

On being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

For Paragraphs (a) to (e) of the Motion (52)

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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Cllr Peter Rippon) and Councillors John Robson, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussain, Robert Murphy, Mohammed Maroof, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Joyce Wright, Steven Wilson, Garry Weatherall, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, George Lindars-Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Terry Fox, Anthony Downing, David Barker, Lynn Rooney, John Campbell, Martin Lawton, Sioned-Mair Richards, Peter Price, Leigh Bramall, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Neale Gibson, Nikki Sharpe, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

Against Paragraphs (a) to (e) of the Motion (15)

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Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Anders Hanson,David Baker and Trevor Bagshaw.

Abstained on Paragraphs (a) to (e) of the Motion (1)

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Councillor Keith Hill.

For Paragraph (f) of the Motion (51)

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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Cllr Peter Rippon) and Councillors John Robson, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussain, Mohammed Maroof, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Joyce Wright, Steven Wilson, Garry Weatherall, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, George Lindars-Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Terry Fox, Anthony Downing, David Barker,Lynn Rooney, John Campbell, Martin Lawton, Sioned-Mair Richards, Peter Price, Leigh Bramall, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Neale Gibson, Nikki Sharpe, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

Against Paragraph (f) of the Motion (15)

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Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Anders Hanson,David Baker and Trevor Bagshaw.

Abstained on Paragraph (f) of the Motion (2)

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Councillors Keith Hill and Robert Murphy

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)       regrets that the Liberal Democrats in Government have presided over the slowest economic recovery in 100 years and notes that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have declared the Chancellor’s fiscal plans are a “drag on growth” and warned that Britain is “a long way from a strong and sustainable recovery”;

(b)       believes this and their complete failure to produce a credible plan for economic growth has led to two and a half years of a flatlining economy;

(c)        notes that in March, the Office for Budget Responsibility halved the growth forecast for this year and downgraded it for next year too;

(d)       further notes that other countries are doing better with the UK economy now 2.6% below its pre-crisis peak and the USA 3.2% above;

(e)       regrets that unemployment is higher now than at the General  Election, with almost 1 million young people unemployed and nearly half a million people unemployed for more than two years, the highest figure since May 1997; and

(f)        believes that in addition to their national economic failure, the Liberal Democrats in Government have introduced a range of measures to the detriment of Sheffield’s economy including:

(iii)         cutting the funding for regional economic development by two thirds;

(iv)         cancelling the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters;

(iii)       suspended a Government grant for the New Retail Quarter; and

(iv)       brought forward proposals to remove Sheffield as a protected name which was met by disdain within the local business community.

(Note: Councillor Robert Murphy voted for Paragraphs (a) to (e) abstained on Paragraph (f) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)