A TORY-run council will splash £50,000 of savings on funding community parties to celebrate the coronation instead of helping foodbanks after elected members pushed the "out of touch" proposal through in a tight voting contest.
The plan by the Conservative administration of the Scottish Borders Council was approved by a slim margin despite the SNP group suggesting the cash should be used to help vulnerable people ensure they have meals to eat.
SNP councillor Fay Sinclair claimed hundreds of people had been in touch with the party group “absolutely aghast” at the planned “misuse” of public money.
The Tories' motion went through by 17 votes to 15 against the SNP amendment, after one Tory member left the room during the roll call.
Sinclair said she found the decision “difficult to justify” when people were struggling to make ends meet during a cost-of-living crisis.
She told The National: “I’m really disappointed the Tories pushed their taxpayer-funded party pot through by 18 votes to 15.
“I called on them to scrap this tone-deaf coronation party fund and get back to what the public expects us to be focussed on, delivering the local services on which we all depend.
“We’ve seen a really strong reaction from the public on this, with hundreds of people getting in touch to oppose the party fund. They are absolutely aghast at this misuse of public money.
“I find it particularly difficult to justify when people are struggling to afford to do the very basics of heating their homes and putting enough food on the table and next week we’ll be in the same council chamber putting their council tax up by 5%.
“Every single Tory councillor also voted against putting additional funding into local foodbanks. Not only are they totally out of touch, but it seems they’re also out of compassion and care for those who need it most.”
Tory councillor Scott Hamilton accused opposition members of “politicising” the motion and being “divisive” during the meeting.
He said: “This paper has been politicised by some in the chamber. The celebration of a coronation is always, and should always be, apolitical.”
The £50k will be used to create a King’s Coronation Fund which will be made available to the 69 community councils in the area to host celebratory events from May 6 to 8.
It comes ahead of a special meeting next week which will see decisions made on how to plug a £7.2 million real terms funding gap to provide council services.
The move mirrors steps taken by the council last June to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
