'Labour lost my vote a long time ago' - how you reacted to the alternative Conservative budget for Sunderland

Released earlier this week, the Conservative budget included proposals to:

*Replace the £1.5million in funding for street cleaning with a council company which would be cost-neutral.

*Reduce councillors’ allowances by more than £100,000.

*Reduce trade union facility time.

*Increase income from parking in line with other regional councils.

You can read the Conservative budget in full here.The party also said they would limit any council tax increase to 3% to fund adult social care, and look at increased spending for city priorities.

The authority's budget meeting is due to take place on March 7, and the Conservatives plan to work up detailed costs for this date.

Here's how you reacted to the proposals on social media:

Shaun Parker: "Worth a change for sure, but I don't think for one minute that they would follow through with half of the things they propose for the city. But sometimes you gotta suck it and see."

Marty Rome: "Why vote for change when we can vote in the same Labour council year in year out but then complain they are doing nothing?"

John Tate: "Nothing but sound bites. Maybe if the Tory councillors concentrated on stopping the austerity cuts from central government."

Gordon Greenman: "The town is a disgrace. Paper and plastic bags everywhere. Road sides and leisure parks are a depository for waste. Please clean it up. The debris fairy won't do it."

Gareth Jones: "How about a government who adequately funds local services."

Kathleen McFarlane: "And where will they get the money from, they must have a 'money tree' stashed somewhere."

Peter Henderson: "About time councillors get wages cut instead of services."

Lisa 'fenwick' O'hair: "We need a change in Sunderland."

"The city is desperate with nothing to offer. They waste money time and time again. Labour lost my vote a long time ago."

Laura Gallagher: "How many people on here saying ''vote Labour out' it's the national government that decide what spare cash we get thrown our way up here and I believe that would be even worse with a Tory local council."

John Tate: "Nothing but sound bites. Maybe if the Tory councillors concentrated on stopping the austerity cuts from central government."

Lee Richardson: "Am I the only person who thinks screaming out for a free new bin because there's has gone missing is just silly?"

Bill Walton: "We need alternative ideas."

Tony Brown: "About time we got a council that works for us."

Coun Mel Speding, Labour councillor and cabinet secretary for Sunderland City Council hit back against the Conservative proposals. You can read his reaction in full here.