Council leader 'not afraid' to oppose Labour Government

COUNCILLOR SPEAKS TO THE MAIL

- JANE HAYNES News Reporter

BIRMINGHAM City Council leader John Cotton has defended his “grown up” relationship with government ministers and rejected claims he is in the pocket of national Labour Party chiefs.

Cllr Cotton was answering questions at an end-of-year Q&A with the Birmingham Mail.

He was asked why he had appeared reluctant to publicly pressure the Government last year when it was dallying over whether or not to lift the two-child benefit cap, a welfare policy that was widely blamed for pushing more Birmingham families into poverty than anywhere else in the country.

The Labour Party had pledged to scrap the move when it came into power only to delay doing so for more than a year. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced it was being lifted in her Budget in November.