DISTRICT council leader Tim Gwilliam has made an extraordinary blast at other councillors for trying to score ‘political points’ on next year’s crucial authority budget, saying, if they wanted to do that, they should resign.

Cabinet chairman Cllr Gwilliam painted a grim picture of the authority’s financial future as it faces cuts from its’ Government support and the precept it can levy to the public in the next Council Tax round.

However, the leader of the authority’s opposition, Conservative Cllr Brian Robinson, has hit back and accused the Cabinet of ‘gagging’ them at last week’s meeting, adding that the problems they have with the Budget could have been easily resolved.

The Forest of Dean District Council are facing a shortfall of £1.9 million in Government support, and only just made their requirement to set a legal Budget back in February.

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S FORESTER