Free fireworks tickets for people on benefits slammed as ‘tokenistic’ gesture

Free fireworks: A Tower Hamlets firework display in 2010. Photograph: © GanMed64 (creative commons)

Hackney Council has revealed it will be offering 250 free tickets to its bonfire night fireworks display in Clissold Park for residents on benefits.

Tickets to the event, taking place in Clissold Park on 5 November, cost £7.50 per adult and £2.50 per child for residents, and £8.50 and £3.50 for non-residents.

In a previous statement the Town Hall said it was currently working “within difficult financial constraints” and that “it could not justify spending taxpayers’ money” on the display.

However local residents pointed out that at £20 for a family of four, the prices would exclude low-income families and the unemployed.

The Council has now announced it will be giving out 250 tickets out of the available 5000 to those receiving state benefits or allowances.

Emma Dixon, who lives near Clissold Park, slammed the Council’s response as “wholly inadequate”, saying the event remained “95 per cent exclusive”.

She said: “This response is no more than a tokenistic display by a council that appears to care more about PR than about the needs of Hackney residents.

“This is a fairness issue. How can labour in Hackney claim to be on the side of residents while ensuring that 95 per cent of tickets go to those lucky enough to be in employment and with plenty of money to spare?”

Ms Dixon also pointed out that families consisting of more than two people would still need to pay for tickets as the Council is only giving out two tickets per household.

When asked why the free tickets were not announced with the initial release, a Council spokesperson said: “It was always our intention to have concessionary tickets, but at the time of launching the sale of paid-for tickets we were not in a position to announce it.

“Processing concessionary tickets is being done manually and not through the box office, therefore we had to ensure this system was set up and adequately resourced before launching.

“We have not been able to offer all our residents free tickets as the Council continues to work within difficult financial constraints. We will not make a profit from the event.”

The tickets will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Details of how to apply for a free ticket can be found here.