Labour councillors have failed in a bid to overturn an 80 per cent reduction in York Council's Holocaust Memorial Day budget, which leaves just £1,000 to spend on the 2012 commemoration. A motion to reverse the cut was on the agenda at last week's council meeting, backed by Labour and Green councillors. Holocaust survivor Lillian Black also spoke in support.

But Liberal Democrat and Conservative counsellors voted out the proposal.

Labour leader Councillor James Alexander said: "As someone who has been a victim of antisemitic abuse, I find it shocking that Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors in York have conspired to cut the Holocaust Memorial Day budget by 80 per cent whilst they can leave one council department's recruitment agency budget of almost £2 million largely intact.

"If Labour wins control of the council in May we will reverse this. It is shocking they would not reverse the cut."

Leader of the LibDem council Andrew Waller has insisted that the cut will not impact on the commemoration, with money released from the Lord Mayor's budget to make up the deficit.