Labour budget "irresponsible" (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Labour budget "irresponsible"

February 14, 2006 8:00 AM

Speaking at the County Council meeting on 14th February, Cllr Dermot Roaf said that the Labour budget proposals are irresponsible. He said, "This budget does not address the fact that the only reason why the settlement from central government is not an immediate disaster is because the government has given us 'damping grants' of over £15m to mitigate the worst effects. As these grants are withdrawn over the next few years, we will have great difficulty in avoiding cuts in services, unless we have a higher income from Council Tax. For this reason it is a mistake to reduce the Council Tax increases over the next few years.

"Back in 1997 the Labour party promised that there would be an end to Council Tax capping. We know it continues and there is no reason to assume that this will change. Governments tend to be very slow to keep promises that would mean a loss of their power to dictate local services. The only way to avoid cuts in services as our grant is cut is to keep Council Tax rises as high as possible. Of course we know that Council Tax is a burden on the poor (which is why Liberal Democrats want to replace it by a fair tax, based on people's ability to pay), but cuts in our services hit the very poor even more severely.

"And it is not just removal of damping which we may suffer, but also the proposed Government cuts in Supporting People and in the NHS provision of community services, both of which will increase the pressures on our services.

"The Labour Government claims that its priorities are 'Education, Education and Education'. But this Labour budget cuts spending on the support for the education of children with the greatest needs by cutting spending in behaviour support and Special Educational Needs, which will reduce posts and increase the thresholds for access to home tuition. It removes a mobile library; and it proposes to cut footpath maintenance and work on the definitive map.

"When President de Valera was asked what the Irish people wanted he replied that he looked into his heart. The Conservative answer to what Oxfordshire people want is that 35% of the Oxfordshire voters supported their Manifesto (which suggests that 65% did not). I am not sure how the Labour group decides this important issue.

"The County Council actually employs MORI to investigate what people want. MORI held a full-day community workshop at the end of January and all groups were invited to send a councillor. The only councillor who attended was Liberal Democrat Janet Godden. She reported that people want better roads and parking, and better road maintenance. Neither of these is addressed by the Labour budget. People also wanted fewer cuts in social care which fortunately is addressed by the Labour budget. But the main message from people was "Listen". And Janet was the only Councillor there to listen."