Tories lack credibility

The Tory control East Staffordshire Borough Council approved the budget for next financial year on 21 February 2011.

The Council's grant funding has been cut by 14% (£1.2m approx) compared with last years budget.  Despite this is massive cut by the Conservative Government, the local Conservative controlled Council is pledging to protect front line services.  That is to say that the Council will provide the same services next year as they do now.

The Council is not a profit making organisation.  Its main purpose is to provide services to the public.

How is this possible? 

There are two possible answers.

1.  The grant the Council has been getting in previous years was too generous and they did not need all that money to deliver the current level and standard of services.  If this is the case then the Conservatives have been wasting taxpayers' money for years.
2.  The cut in funding will mean cut in services.  So, the Council may provide a service but the quality and standard of service will be drastically reduced.  If this is the case then effectively this amounts to CUT in services.

Last year we were told that Bus pass scheme before 9.30am will be reviewed.  What actually happened was that the free bus travel before 9.30 was CUT.

This year we are told the front line services will be protected.  We feel that protection means a CUT. 

It is simply not possible to maintain same number of services to the same quality and to same standard with a 14% cut in funding.  Even David Cameron has said spending less means doing less.

The public knows the Tories have broken many promises since coming into power like increase in VAT.

The rhetoric from local Tories is not plausible, they are not cedible and cannot kid the public anymore.