Plans to delay an upcoming budget meeting have been fiercely criticised by the opposition.

Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry said Southampton City Council is ‘limping from crisis to crisis’.

The Conservative group leader has hit out at the proposal to delay the meeting from February to March.

It comes amid claims the Labour administration will not be ready to present a budget next month following the resignation of chief executive Mike Harris who said his 'mental health has been fragile for many months'.

Cllr Fitzhenry said the council is in a ‘complete downward tailspin mess’.

READ MORE: Government £64bn funding package ‘won’t change severity’ of council budget crisis

He said: “The former leader has resigned; the chief executive has now resigned and we are being advised the Labour council won’t have its budget ready on time.

“Under Labour the council is being taken off a cliff, whilst major developments in our city have stalled, our city’s most vulnerable have their services axed and Labour Cllrs spend millions on pet projects of culture and a climate assembly.

“Having squandered tens of millions of pounds, the Labour council is now facing the reality of its decisions and failure of its leadership, having denied only eight months ago, that any of these problems existed.

“Each week the news is getting more depressing and the situation at the council more chaotic, as its limps from crisis to crisis towards bankruptcy under Labour.”

But no decision has yet been made on the meeting date, which is still listed for February 21 on the council website.

But council leader Lorna Fielker said: “We are looking to move the meeting just to make sure we've given ourselves the best possible time to make sure we've got the best plans that we can in place.”