The decision of Manchester’s Labour-run Council to spend almost half a million pounds on a pop concert starring Alicia Keys has been branded “crazy” by Lib Dems in the city. Manchester City Council is currently in the process of making £296m of cuts to its budget over a two year period – cuts condemned as “ideological” by the Labour Council Leader Sir Richard Leese.

Here’s what the Lib Dem group leader on Manchester City Council, Simon Wheale, had to say about this use of scarce public money:

It is unbelievable that hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent on one night’s concert.

Surely with a brilliant star like Alicia Keys, and a great venue like the cathedral, private sponsors would have been queuing up to support MTV without huge spending from Manchester council taxpayers.

Well, quite.

* Nick Thornsby is Thursday Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs here.