Ok, simple question. You want to buy a pack of Andrex toilet tissues because it's your favourite. There are three shops in Mill Hill which sell it. Which shop would you go to?Shop A is run by Mr Freer who is a Tory?
Shop B is run by Mrs Moore who is Labour?
Shop C is run by Mr Davies who is a Lib Dem?
The answer? You'd probably go to the one who sold the toilet paper cheapest. Now just suppose that Shop A has a big sign in the window which says "our toilet roll is 5p cheaper than the other shops". Just suppose you bought the toilet roll and found out that Mr Smith was telling porkies and it's the same price. Would you go back to him? I don't know about you, but I'd certainly think twice. Just suppose you found that it was 5p more expensive? How would you feel then? My guess is that you'd give him a piece of your mind and that would be the last time you went in that shop.
Just suppose that Mr Smith in shop A told you, when you queried the cost "Well it should be 5p cheaper, but I lost all my money in an Icelandic bank which promised a high rate of interest but went bust, so I had to make it more expensive" Would you say thats OK, I'm happy to be ripped off? Just suppose Mr Smiths shop had been there for 50 years and you'd always gone in there? Would you think it was OK that he'd mislead you?
The reason I ask you this is because many people will vote for Conservative Councillors in the 2010 council elections. They do so because they think that they'll get lower council taxes. Sadly there is more to delivering low cost services than just saying you are going to do it. Let me explain.
In 2009 Band E Council Tax in Barnet is £1739. In the Borough next door, Brent it is £1672.
What was it in 2004 when the Tories took control of Barnet?
Band E Council Tax in Barnet was £1483. In the Borough next door, Brent it was £1558.
7 years of the Tories has seen Brent become a cheaper place to live than Barnet. What is the difference between the two councils? Brent is run by the Lib Dems, Barnet is run by the Conservatives. In 2004 when the Tories took over from a council run by a Lib Dem and Labour coalition, the tax was lower. I have no doubt that many Tories in Barnet dream of having a low tax administration, but the facts speak for themselves. The current bunch of Tories at the Town Hall have a track record of failure. They cut vital services such as the Sheltered Housing wardens, whilst wasting cash left, right and centre with crazy and wasteful schemes.
I don't believe in slashing vital services. I don't believe in making tax cuts the no 1 priority, but I passionately believe in doing the job properly. I believe that this will deliver savings, without badly thought out slash and burn cost cutting. I have a strong background in running a business, one which is successful in a very competetive marketplace. Why? because I check the detail. Sadly most of the waste at Barnet has come because our Tory lords and masters couldn't be bothered to check details or ask the officials difficult questions. They then complained that "officials hadn't told them the truth".
The people of Barnet deserve better. My advice to you. Before you buy your Andrex or anything else, check that the price really is cheaper. Before you cast your vote, check whether the party you are voting for really does what it says on the tin.
3 comments:
The Tories took control in 2003, so you need to recalculate your figures on council tax increases.
The point is that in 2004 Barnet had lower Council tax than brent. Now it hasn't. Presumably 2004 would have been the first budget they set. Since then things have gone horribly wrong. I seem to recall the Tories put the Council tax up by a huge amount in their first budget. so if anything it's even worse.
In their first budget the Tories put up council tax by about 24%. Now it is probably up by about 50% since they took control.
'Control' probably is not the right word, as it seems to me that the Council officers control the council, putting forward proposals and making decisions, while the Conservative councillors aquiesce, dress up in mock medieval costumes and concentrate on getting their allowances increased.
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