The Liberal Democrat leader of Gloucester City Council has ruled out stepping down following the latest reported overspend at the authority, which amounts to more than £1m. The council, which has been offered an emergency government bailout of up to £15.5m, disclosed yet another overspend earlier this month. The most recent financial outturn report reveals an overspend of more than £1.12m for the third quarter of the last financial year, covering October, November and December 2025.
Labour group leader Terry Pullen demanded to know who was accountable for the £1.125m overspend in the 2025/26 budget, and called on Councillor Jeremy Hilton to consider his position.
Dispute Over Accountability
But Cllr Hilton hit back, suggesting the Labour councillor ought to be thanking the Liberal Democrats for the work they are undertaking to steady the ship. He explained the accounts were readjusted because they were based on best estimates when they were originally set up.
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“During that period of time, what we did was only went through the higher level projects and budget headings,” he said. “What they’ve done is then gone through the whole lot and identified the budget precisely and accurately. For the first time since 2021 they have gone in on time. These figures are the most accurate that we’ve ever had in the last five or six years. We’ve been just clearing up the mess.”
Response to Criticism
Cllr Pullen hit back, saying “I don’t think so” and claimed the council keeps “hearing the same old excuses, the same old stories”. “There is a litany of financial failures at this council,” he said. He argued that the 2025/26 budget had been set by the Liberal Democrats, making them accountable for its accuracy.
Cllr Hilton said he was still awaiting an apology from the Conservatives for the “absolute financial mess” they left the council in, noting that three sets of accounts had gone unaudited. The council has introduced “robust” budget monitoring, according to Cllr Hilton.
It’s possible that the ongoing efforts to address the financial issues will eventually lead to a more stable financial situation for the council, but for now, the dispute between Cllr Hilton and Cllr Pullen continues.
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Cllr Pullen responded by saying “so that’s a no then Cllr Hilton, you will carry on in your incompetent way. “There are no excuses left. We just roll on and roll and the people of Gloucester have to put up with your incompetence.”
Next Steps
Cllr Hilton hit back, accusing Cllr Pullen of making inaccurate comments in the public domain. The situation remains unresolved, with Cllr Hilton refusing to step down despite the calls from the Labour group leader.
The council’s financial situation will likely remain a topic of discussion in the coming months, with the emergency government bailout and the introduction of “robust” budget monitoring potentially playing a role in addressing the overspend.
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