Tory U-turns Dominate Budget Debate
Today's budget debate at Warwickshire County Council was dominated by two major U-turns by the ruling Conservative administration, in both cases on issues which the Liberal Democrats have been pushing for consistently for a long time.
Library computer charges removed
Four years after their controversial decision to introduce charges for use of computers in public libraries, and have failed to realise anything like the planned revenue from doing so, the Tories have suddenly backed down and decide to remove charging completely. Lib Dems have campaigned consistently against these charges, which hit poorer and unemployed people disproportionately. Only now, with an election in the offing, have the Tories decide to "listen to public concern".
Passenger transport assistants on school buses restored
There was an even more blatant U-turn on the contentious issue of the removal of passenger transport assistants (PTAs) from school buses, which has caused upset and outrage among thousands of Warwickshire parents. The Tories carried on defending this cut vigorously until a few days ago, but suddenly announced today that because of savings elsewhere they could afford to restore PTAs on all routes. The Lib Dems had made a clear budget commitment to do this, but there had been nothing in the Tory budget proposal. Given this measure was originally claimed to save £700,000 p.a., but we now know will cost less than £60,000 to put back, this demonstrates Tory incompetence on a massive scale.
Evening bus services serving rural communities
The Lib Dem proposal committed £600,000 a year to be put back into the public transport budget, to lift Warwickshire off the bottom of the national league table. A key commitment was to four new evening bus service routes, carefully designed to link up many rural towns and villages to the main population centres, at a net cost of less than £40,000 a year. Places to benefit would have included Alcester, Studley, Shipston and Bidford-on-Avon. The best the Tories could offer on this was "we're not ruling this out"! Residents in these communities will not be convinced by such platitudes.
Household waste recycling centres
The Labour group showed their total disregard for the southern half of the county, by proposing the closure of four waste recycling centres across Warwick and Stratford districts - those at Kenilworth, Shipston, Stockton and Wellesbourne. Lib Dems have consistently supported the retention of these sites, and continue to do so.
Youth services
The Lib Dem budget proposal had put back £1.2 million into early intervention services, including youth services, to offset most of the £1.9 million cuts arising from reductions in government grants. The Tories only put back £500,000, yet claimed that this meant no closures of youth centres and no staff redundancies. In a bizarre move, the Tory council leader disowned staff communications last week foreshadowing both closures and up to 50% redundancies, putting the blame for this back on senior officers' proposals. He failed to explain how restoring 25% of cuts for one year only would save these vital services.
Part night street lighting
In another of their "flavour of the month" budget proposals which they've become known for, the Labour group wanted to restore all night lighting everywhere unless local communities demanded otherwise. This totally unrealistic policy, which would have written off the £1.6 million already invested in the light switching technology, was condemned by Lib Dem members as blatant electioneering.
Instead, the Lib Dems have tabled a motion for debate at the next Council meeting on 19th February, calling for an urgent review of the part night street lighting programme to be brought forward to May. This will equip the incoming administration after the county election, of whatever political hue, with the objective facts on which to base any potential changes to the current policy, and to implement them before next winter's dark nights.
Tories win the vote, Lib Dems win the argument
Summing up, Lib Dem group leader Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Rugby Eastlands & Hillmorton) said:
With their large majority currently, the Tories were always going to win the vote today, but the Lib Dems won the argument.
The Tories have demonstrated weak leadership and bad judgement on many important issues affecting the people of Warwickshire, and have run out of ideas other than CUT, CUT, and CUT. As for Labour, their stance on street lighting is deeply cynical and unrealistic, playing on the politics of fear.
The Lib Dems showed today that, even in tough times, the county council could have re-directed significant sums of money to where it was most needed. Unfortunately both other parties voted against our ideas today. Recent history would suggest that, if the Tories were still in control after May, they would probably be adopting our ideas in 2-3 years' time, by which time it would be too late in many cases. As we approach the elections in May, the Lib Dems will be setting out these ideas clearly for people to understand the real choices facing this county council - then let the people of Warwickshire decide.