THE person in charge of finances for Redditch Council has been accused of being "a man without a plan" and told to "do the decent thing and resign" in a scathing attack.

During a council meeting earlier this week Councillor John Fisher, portfolio holder for Corporate Management, was asked to resign following the publication of a damning report by the council’s external auditors, Grant Thornton.

The report slammed the council for failing to put in place proper arrangements for securing the financial future of the organisation.

It detailed a number of weaknesses identified around financial resilience and weaknesses in medium to long term financial planning - specifically the absence of an up-to-date three to five year financial plan.

The report also criticised the council's lack of robust plans to deliver savings required to balance the budget.

Coun Fisher refused to step down and the resolution was thrown out.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Juliet Brunner said that the buck should stop with Coun Fisher.

"Redditch has hit the headlines again but not for anything positive," she said.

"We have a controlling group without a clue and a man without a plan in charge of our finances.

"They are obviously taking a leaf from Ed Milliband's book of fumbling when it comes to forgetting about finances and deficits. It's absolutely cringeworthy that the Labour group can sit there and support this debacle.

"The Corporate Management Portfolio and the residents of this town have been let down badly."

She added that Coun Fisher has no choice but to "do the decent thing and resign".

Councillor David Thain said: "The ruling Labour group have dithered and continue to dither about rectifying Redditch finances. It is time to stop talking about 'meetings to discuss', 'schedules to do this and that' etc.

"The people of Redditch have a right to be told what the council will do about restoring fiscal responsibility to the borough's finances - now.

"They have a right to be told when a concrete plan will be announced: what measures will be taken and by when.

"The plan should have concrete numbers and dates and do away with the spurious and meaningless phrase 'unidentified savings' - if savings are unidentified, how can they be saved?"

Coun Fisher called the notice of motion "desperate" and nothing more than "political optimism".

He stressed: "I have no plans to stand down. We have got a strategy and a plan and it is working.

"It would be easy to make cuts but we are working through them to find a better solution.

"The Tory party have no figures or no way of dealing with the financial problems that the council is currently facing. All they have done is focus on a part of the report that is not positive, but that was the part we knew about."

Coun Fisher added: "The council, as well as auditors Grant Thornton, were well aware that we had only done a one year plan and that that was due to restructuring."

Redditch Council leader Bill Harnett said Coun Fisher should not stand down and that he has the full confidence of the council. He added the council would be discussing financial planning going forward at the next executive council meeting.