21/02/05 - Labour Humilated As Council Tax Is Set

Conservatives last night delivered on their promise of fair and afforable Council Tax last when the Council Tax rise for next was set at 3%, despite fierce opposition from the Labour & Liberal Councillors.

This was the lowest Council Tax rise in a decade, and brought an end to Labour's disgraceful Council Tax hikes, which included an unacceptable 42% in just 3 years.

Local residents had made it crystal clear that they wanted an affordable Council Tax, and this was reflected both in the June 04 local elections which saw the Conservative take overall control for the first time in 25 years, at the expense of Labour and their 'spend, spend, spend' Liberal chums.

Throughout the year the Conservatives have focused on cutting the endless waste and mismanagement in the Council (80% of Evening Advertiser readers recently felt the Council was rife with waste, no suprise after 25 years of Labour mismanagement) and we were able to drive through £10 million of efficiency savings.  These efficiency savings were opposed by the Labour and Liberal Councillors, and had they won the vote, these would have had to be put back in, and local residents would have been hit by a staggering Socialist Council Tax rise of 19.2%.

Labour's attempts to oppose our Council Tax plans were a disaster: 

Firstly, despite vocal opposition throughout the meeting, they failed to offer an alternative budget, afraid of publically announcing how far they were prepapred to hammer local residents - yet again!

Secondly, the Deputy Labour Leader chose to use his speech to discuss his time as a member of the Communist Party - a bizarre and pointless rant with no relevance to the Council Tax setting meeting.

The Conservatives are the only Party who will drive down Council Tax.