Local Conservatives have
condemned the decision of Labour controlled Reading Borough Council to reject a
grant of £700,000 from Central Government and instead raise local Council Tax
by £1.2m.
Conservative Group finance
spokesman, Cllr David Stevens, said; “At
Westminster and in Reading Labour still fail to grasp the seriousness of the
dire financial situation they have caused. They really think that borrowing
more, taxing more and spending more will save the day. Only Conservatives fully
realise how much has to be done to rebalance the public finances. The coalition
at Westminster is making progress but it will be a long and painful haul.
Meanwhile we have to protect an ageing population and find school places for
Reading's children. When will Labour acknowledge their responsibility for
creating the crisis in the public finances?”
Group Leader Cllr Tim Harris
said, “It is disappointing, but
unsurprising, that Labour controlled Reading Borough Council revert to raising
Council Tax. They invariably express their concern about pensioners and the low
paid, but then hit them with more taxes. In levying this additional tax, Labour
has chosen to reject a grant from the Government worth £700,000. Instead they
land local residents with an additional bill of £1.2M. Was it not possible to
find any other savings in the council's budget?”
It is interesting to note
that whilst many people are suffering pay freezes or having to find additional
part time work, the Council's wage bill is forecast to rise by almost £1M next
year. After paying off one chief executive with an extremely generous severance
cheque they now employ a new one on a salary and benefits worth more than that
paid to the Prime Minister.
It is also worth noting that
until the Conservative-led coalitions took control at Westminster and in
Reading and introduced a Council Tax freeze, local taxes in Reading rose by
more than inflation year on year, making it the most expensive Unitary
authority precept in Berkshire.
