UKIP councillor 'quits' mid-meeting as Dudley Council tax hike approved

The full council of Dudley met last night to set the council tax rate for 2018/19 - but the debate became so heated one member 'resigned' halfway through before storming out.

The 4.49 per cent increase was approved by by 62 to one votes, but only after UKIP councillor Star Anderton left the room around an hour into the lively meeting.

WATCH the moment Councillor Anderton leaves the meeting:

Still determined to hold the title as 'lowest council tax in West Midlands', the Conservative-run authority had proposed the tax hike - an idea which was criticised by UKIP councillors who wanted it to be boosted by just 2.99 per cent.

But Labour and Conservative members criticised UKIP's plans as 'poor', 'uncertain' and 'incomplete'.

Councillor Steve Clark, a Conservative, said: "Dudley is a low-spending, low-taxing council. We have made savings of £85 million in the last seven years, but compared to the average council we have £13m less a year to spend due to a low council tax. We have a goal to protect our frontline services."

Labour councillor David Sparks agreed with the Tory proposal and said that the council needed to create a plan for the future.

He said: "We clearly need to adopt a strategy. We still have a problem in long-term financial sustainability."

And chaos ensued when Councillor Sparks suggested that UKIP would 'play up to the public gallery' as he said they had in the past.

UKIP's Councillor Star Anderton called out Councillor Sparks for being 'rude' and told him to 'shut up'.

This prompted Mayor Dave Tyler to order Councillor Anderton not to speak for the rest of the meeting.

Councillor Anderton, who uses a wheelchair, did not take kindly to further comments made later on about her party, however, and said: "I've had enough, I'll resign right now" before storming out, while her rivals broke out into applause.

Fellow UKIP councillor and MEP Bill Etheridge later claimed on Twitter to have heard a Labour member shout 'push her down the stairs' but both the Labour and Conservative parties strongly deny this was said.

Meanwhile Paul Brothwood, also a UKIP councillor, said: "As predicted we seem to have a grand coalition in place at Dudley Council between the Conservatives and Labour, fully united on hurting our frontline services.

"The only difference between them is the Tories are pushing for economic austerity and Labour are pushing for cultural austerity.

"As always the UKIP group will offer a positive alternative to this limp budget and maintain our rightful position as the hardworking opposition."

UKIP's amendment proposed lowering the council tax increase to 2.99 per cent, removing the post of chief executive, and reducing the salaries of chief officers and strategic directors by 20 per cent.

But the amendment was thrown out at 61 to seven, with Conservative leader of the council Patrick Harley saying: "It's easy to propose something like this when you know you are not going to be around the face the consequences."

UKIP's Councillor Bill Etheridge branded the Tory and Labour agreement a 'cosy little alliance'.

The original proposal was then approved with 62 in agreement, one saying no, and four abstaining.