"Labour county councillors sat on their hands and let Tory budget cuts happen"
February 9, 2009 10:01 AM
Cllr John Whitehouse
Liberal Democrat county councillor John Whitehouse (Kenilworth Abbey) has responded to comments about the county budget by Warwick & Leamington Labour MP James Plaskitt in last week's local press:
"I am amazed that Warwick & Leamington MP James Plaskitt has had the nerve to attack the budget agreed by Warwickshire County Council last week, when it was his own Labour councillors who abstained on the final vote and allowed the proposals by the minority Conservative administration to go through. In fact there was only one item of the final budget, Stratford Park & Ride, on which Labour disagreed with the Conservatives - everything else they agreed with!
"The Liberal Democrats were the only group to vote consistently against the Conservatives throughout the budget debate - even the Independent abstained at the end. Our own budget proposals would have meant the smallest council tax increase of the three groups, while protecting front line services, cutting bureaucracy and avoiding raising charges that will hit those least able to afford them. Sadly none of the other parties were willing to support us.
"Mr Plaskitt rings his hands about library services, but both Labour and Conservatives voted to cut spending on new library books by £ 150,000, and to raise £ 200,000 by charging for use of library computers for the first time. Liberal Democrats voted against both proposals.
"Conservatives and Labour also both voted in favour of spending £ 1.5 million of taxpayers' money on council offices in Warwick, when our schools are in dire need of refurbishment and repair. Again it was only the Liberal Democrats who voted against this.
Both Labour and Conservatives voted for cuts of up to £ 600,000 in grants to the voluntary sector and charities, moves that the Liberal Democrats bitterly opposed. In a recession and with increasing numbers of people facing hardship, many of these voluntary and charitable organisations offer vital help and support.
"An unholy alliance last week of Conservatives and Labour, and the compromises each party had to make in order to reach a deal, has pushed up the county council tax increase for next year to 3.9%, while avoiding making clear choices and while targeting the wrong priorities.
"Voters should be in no doubt that the only opposition last week to the Conservative budget cuts came from the Liberal Democrats. Labour councillors sat on their hands and let it happen."
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