Labour councillors in Waltham Forest decided to risk hundreds of thousands on bidding to be the borough of culture, claiming the returns would justify the outlay. Their budget now shows that they have decided to increase the cost still further, pumping another £2.5 million of taxpayer's money into this vanity project.

What was wrong with the original budget of nearly £6 million?

Labour are hiking your council tax and complaining there isn't enough money to fund priorities like social care, yet they're happy to splurge another £2.5 million on light shows and fireworks they claimed would be self-financing.

Cllr Mitchell Goldie (Endlebury ward)

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