Gloucester City Council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Jeremy Hilton, has firmly rejected demands to step down following a significant budget overspend exceeding £1 million. The authority recently disclosed an overspend of £1.12 million for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, despite being offered an emergency government bailout of up to £15.5 million.
During the full council meeting on July 16, Labour group leader Terry Pullen questioned who should be held accountable for the overspend and whether Cllr Hilton would resign. In response, Hilton urged the opposition to appreciate the efforts of the Liberal Democrats in stabilizing the council’s finances, emphasizing that previous budgets had only included high-level estimates and that recent adjustments brought much-needed accuracy.
“For the first time since 2021, the accounts have been completed on time and with the highest accuracy we’ve seen in years,” Hilton said. “We’re just clearing up the mess left behind.” He denied that any of his administration’s decisions caused the overspend, stating, “You should thank us for doing such a good job.”
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Pullen, however, remained unconvinced, criticizing the council’s financial management as a “litany of failures.” He argued that the Liberal Democrats set the 2025/26 budget and are therefore responsible for its shortcomings. “The people of Gloucester have lost patience and trust in your leadership,” he declared, calling for Hilton’s resignation.
Hilton countered by blaming the previous Conservative administration for leaving the council with three unaudited sets of accounts and a serious financial mess. He highlighted the introduction of “robust” budget monitoring practices as part of the ongoing effort to rectify past issues.
The exchange grew heated, with Pullen accusing Hilton of incompetence and continuing to reject calls for accountability. Hilton retorted that Pullen had misunderstood the financial reports, turning the criticisms back on the opposition’s interpretation of the accounts.
As tensions continue to run high, it remains clear that financial management and leadership accountability will be central issues for Gloucester City Council moving forward.