CERTAIN members of the Labour group in York never cease to amaze me.

At a time when the city saw a recent return of the floods, they decide it is a good idea to ‘sink’ yet more council taxpayers’ money into schemes that may be nice to have, but in no way necessary when other essential services are threatened with cuts.

I refer to the latest £275,000 proposal for a floating Arts Barge project. We are told some of this will be funded through sponsorship and fundraising. I support the arts myself and if this was privately funded, it would have my wholehearted support. However, is it really responsible and prudent to use significant taxpayers’ money on this scheme in the current environment?

Coun James Alexander also announces the intention to introduce a minimum wage of £7.45 per hour for council workers from the spring. This is an admirable aspiration but he is using Economic Infrastructure money and appears to be a bottomless pit.

How is this sustainable? This poorly thought-out plan shows once again that Labour can never be trusted with the purse strings.

Coun Paul Doughty, Conservative, Strensall ward.