The leader of Conservative-led Buckinghamshire Council Martin Tett has been blasted for “talking to the media” about the local unitary authority’s finances.

Cllr Tett’s recent assurance that the council “will not go bankrupt” was dubbed “premature” by opposition group leader Stuart Wilson.

The councillor, who leads the IMPACT Alliance group, said businesses, residents and council members would welcome Cllr Tett’s promise that the council would not issue a Section 114 notice – declaring effective bankruptcy – in the next two years.

However, Cllr Wilson pointed out that the council budget for 2024/25, which will be finalised in February, has not yet been “scrutinised or approved by members”.

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He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Cllr Tett was telling members at council the other week that they would all have to wait to find out about the budget.

“It seems somewhat premature to be talking to the media about next year’s finances when nothing has been published or reviewed.”

The councillor also hit out at Cllr Tett expressing his fears about the impact of a potential Labour government on the council coffers.

He said: “I am also rather surprised about the comments on what a potential Labour government may or may not do following thirteen years of Conservative-led administrations.”

Cllr Wilson criticised what he called Tory governments’ “massive austerity cuts to public services” and said he hoped for a general election soon.

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council said: “I’ve made no secret about the pressures our budget is under and I have stated this publicly on a number of occasions including at Cabinet meetings, to our Finance Select committee, in my regular Residents' Newsletters and in media interviews.

"We are experiencing acute pressure with rising cost and demand particularly in services like social care, temporary accommodation and home to school transport.

"We keep our budgets under constant monitoring and review and make adjustments accordingly. I recently reported to our Finance Select Committee on this year's results.

"This is how we know that, while the pressures are very real, we are not in the extremely precarious position that other councils that have issued Section 114s are finding themselves in.

"We are in the process of finalising the detail of next year’s budget at the moment, which will be closely scrutinised in the New Year and go before all Members of the Council before any final decisions are made.

"It is very disappointing that Stuart Wilson has sought to gain political advantage from our openness with the public, the press and councillors.”