Sandwell Council hits back at 'woke spending splurge' claim
Sandwell Council has accused the Tories of "gross misinterpretation" after claims it spent more than £500,000 on equalities and inclusion initiatives.
The Labour-run authority has been targeted in a "pronouns not potholes" campaign by the Conservatives, who said figures from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show the council splashed out £509,600 on "equalities, diversity, and inclusion initiatives" in 2022/23.
But council chiefs say the figure – branded a "woke spending splurge" by West Bromwich West Tory MP Shaun Bailey – was a "gross misinterpretation", with the true total closer to £5,000.
The Tories claimed Labour authorities across the country spent £1.54 million on such training in 2022/23, with Sandwell Council responsible for a third of the total while also introducing "the biggest council tax hike in the West Midlands".
A council spokesperson said: "The figures quoted for Sandwell Council are a gross misinterpretation and do not provide a like-for-like comparison.
"Sandwell Council has the second lowest council tax rate in the West Midlands and it is our priority to spend our budget wisely to make sure all residents have access to the services and support they need.
"We have a statutory duty under the Equalities Act to prevent any sort of discrimination. This includes making sure people with disabilities and hard-to-reach communities get access to services they need, for example meals on wheels.
"Since April 2021, our work on welfare rights has helped more than 21,500 people secure more than £34 million in benefits they were entitled to as part of our commitment to support residents with the cost-of-living crisis.
"We are very proud of our community in Sandwell. We believe our budget for this work is comparable to other organisations of a similar size and nature when the total amount of spend is considered and we are not ashamed of our investment and the good work we do in embedding this approach."
The Conservatives claimed Labour councils could have filled more than 24,000 potholes with the money spent on diversity training.
Mr Bailey said: "It is disgraceful that Labour councillors have wasted half a million pounds of residents' hard-earned money on a woke spending splurge, at a time when so many residents are struggling to make ends meet.
"This money should be spent fixing our roads, supporting local businesses, and helping families with the cost of living - not another pointless diversity drive.
"The message is clear: Labour aren't up to the job."
A Labour source said: "The Conservatives' figures simply don't add up. Sandwell Council actually spent £5,000 - that's a far cry from £500,000.
"Shaun Bailey should sign up for one of Rishi Sunak's maths courses. If this is the level of financial competence at the heart of government then it starts to explain the mess they've made of the country."
It comes after Labour was heavily criticised over an election campaign advert accusing Rishi Sunak of failing to send child sex abusers to prison.
