£50,000 investment in Spice Girls concert has political rivals singing a different tune

In recent months, Labour bosses at Sunderland City Council have said the potential return on the investment is worth it.

This includes up to £4million in economic benefit from visitors travelling to see the 90s pop icons, who will be performing on Wearside on June 6.

At this week’s budget meeting, Sunderland’s Conservatives called for the funds to be scrapped in their alternative budget proposals for 2019/20.

And group leader on the council, Coun Robert Oliver, selected the “most appropriate Spice Girls songs” to make his case.

“One of their songs was called ‘Deny’. Well I think we deny the reality of giving money to sponsor, to support a concert, that could very easily have found the money somewhere else from the football club or the price of the tickets.

“They also have a song called ‘Never Give Up On The Good Times’, I think when they come to Sunderland council that’s what they’ll be singing because no other council in the country has decided to sponsor them.

“Finally, they also have a song called ‘Right Back At Ya’ and I think (council leader) Coun Miller might find the backlash a little bit later when the council taxpayers find out that they’re paying this.”

Cabinet secretary, Coun Paul Stewart, said he saw nothing wrong with the council supporting major concerts, with the Spice Girls being “something to shout about.”

“As with the Tories, it’s true to the old saying that they know the cost of everything but the value of nothing,” he said.

“We should be pressing the council and the leader on how we facilitate more such events so the residents of our city can see major international bands rather than always having to trail through to Newcastle.

“The cost will be made up by the income that the city will generate from the visitors.”

The Spice Girls are set to be the first concert at the Stadium of Light since 2016.

A run between 2009-16 saw the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Oasis and Beyonce visit Wearside.

However, the council has faced criticism for shelling out the money to attract the Spice Girls when other councils, such as Cardiff and Bristol, didn’t, according to Freedom of Information requests submitted by the council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group.

Following a vote, the budget amendments were defeated with Labour leaders further defending the move.

Council leader, Graeme Miller, added: “If we had not given £50,000 to the football club, not the Spice Girls, the concert would not be happening.

“They did not have the money available to enable the work that they needed to do with partners to bring that concert to this city in June of this year.”

If the concert does generate a rate £4million for the city, Coun Miller added it would equate a “£80 income for every pound spent”.

Caption: Sunderland City Council leader, Coun Graeme Miller 

Caption: Sunderland City Council budget meeting for 2019/20 on March 6

Caption: Leader of the Conservative group on Sunderland City Council, Robert Oliver

Chris Binding , Local Democracy Reporting Service