Tories tear up Labour budget for Lancashire County Council (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Tories tear up Labour budget for Lancashire County Council
2:10pm Wednesday 2nd September 2009 in Burnley
Tories tear up Labour budget for Lancashire County Council
COUNTY council bosses have come under fire for increasing debt levels to a “staggering” amount as part of sweeping changes to the budget.
Yesterday, Lancashire County Council’s new Conservative leadership approved plans to tear up the previous spending plan prepared by the ousted Labour group.
The move will see extra cash made available this year for services including highways, vulnerable children and care homes, paid for by a £10million loan.
And the cabinet also agreed to borrow £39million over the next three years to pay for its capital programme – which includes spending on roads and new school buildings.
This is a change of policy from the Labour years when the day-to-day revenue budget had been used.
Speaking at yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Coun Jennifer Mein, leader of the opposition Labour group, slammed the increase in borrowing and criticised the Tories’ election pledge to freeze council tax next year.
She said: “I am absolutely staggered at the amount of borrowing you are prop-osing to make.
“But I do understand why you are doing this because you have bribed people with the council tax freeze.”
Council leader Geoff Driver hit back, say-ing: “When pol-itical parties put forward a manifes-to, you are not bribing people, you are telling them what you will do if you get control – which is what we are doing.”
Coun Driver said the increase in borrowing would bring Lancashire into line with other authorities in the way it treats capital and revenue budgets.
Yesterday’s meeting came after it was revealed at least £80million will have to be cut from the council’s budgets in the next five years.
Each department has been told to investigate the impact of a 10per cent budget cut as the Tories look to find £16million by February to pay for the council tax freeze.
Comments(14)
onlyu
says...
3:22pm Tue 1 Sep 09
It all depends on the party we voted for and because we‘re all party prejudiced here’s what to do. The next time that you feel something is not being done ask those responsible for an explanation and if you don’t get a reply try somewhere else explaining that you’ve not had a reply and asking them to pass it on to them. Unless you complain you will never get what you want!
So, how about asking for Jack Straws involvement in the Iraq invasion. It is beyond belief that Tony Blair seems to have gotten away with this catastrophe but Jack Straw was there as well and I remember seeing him on television as it happened, dressed full of pomp whilst delivering the awful tactical facts to the world.
So, how about getting Jack Straw to explain the justification of the Iraq war and the events that followed that has led us to the indulgencies of the wars of today. We would all like to know about that right now, not in fifty years time!
andy1
says...
4:39pm Tue 1 Sep 09
akon
says...
4:53pm Tue 1 Sep 09
Labour ,Liberal or Tory,what does it matter ?
They all p*ss in the same pot,remember ?
The very pot you used to p*ss into when you were a labour/communist councillor.
Anyone for a sour grape ? hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahaha
onlyu
says...
5:12pm Tue 1 Sep 09
The Conservative Party has always had a 'wealthy' label placed upon them and the 'OLD' Labour Party ‘Working for the Working Class'. But now the two main parties could just be named 'New Conservative Labour Party' and ‘New Labour Conservative Party’ because they are now the same. Wealthy individuals on a career move. Which is very sad indeed!
guardian
says...
5:22pm Tue 1 Sep 09
onlyu wrote:I don't think the parties are the same onlyu. I live in Darwen and we have seen:
But who to vote for is the question? The Conservative Party has always had a 'wealthy' label placed upon them and the 'OLD' Labour Party ‘Working for the Working Class'. But now the two main parties could just be named 'New Conservative Labour Party' and ‘New Labour Conservative Party’ because they are now the same. Wealthy individuals on a career move. Which is very sad indeed!
- a brand new school + sixth form + various other facilities being built on the site
- a new health centre with far more services than the previous dilapidated one
- fantastic physical improvements in various primary schools (e.g Holy Trinity)
- Darwen Vale School to be massively improved
- a brand new Leisure Centre being built
- a great new sports hall at Darwen Vale
- new sports pitches
add to this the minimum wage, tax credits, drop in NHS waiting lists, more rights for people at work etc:
ok - things are not perfect and there have been mistakes (such as Iraq), but I don't recall any of the above taking place under Thatcher & Major.
There will be a difference, however, if the Tories do get in at the next election. They are pledged to cut back - where do you think they will cut back - and do you think they will improve services in towns such as Darwen or do nothing like they did before ??
frank
says...
5:47pm Tue 1 Sep 09
now try living in the real world
andy1
says...
6:48pm Tue 1 Sep 09
akon wrote:Mind you its better than having your lot in you know the BNP the Party of the nice Facists leader old Nick. I dont know where you get the Communist bit from Akon Socialist yes big difference. Akon really I shouldnt answer you due to the fact when I put facts to you over convicted terrorists in that lovely little party of yours you go hush whys that?
andy1 Labour ,Liberal or Tory,what does it matter ? They all p*ss in the same pot,remember ? The very pot you used to p*ss into when you were a labour/communist councillor. Anyone for a sour grape ? hahahahahahahahahaha hahahaha
onlyu
says...
6:59pm Tue 1 Sep 09
akon
says...
7:49am Wed 2 Sep 09
What party do you affiliate to now ?
I have never heard of the New Labour Socialist communist devil-worshipping party?
See your chum Straw is at it again,licking Gadafi's trumper this time.
Never mind the Lockerbie victims eh ?
Scum labour the party of terrorist appeaser's !
GrahamJ
says...
9:12am Wed 2 Sep 09
£10m is going on Highways but is only being spent in around 12 (or 84) marginal constituencies.
Same old Tories. You can't trust them.
akon
says...
10:17am Wed 2 Sep 09
Yes good old Labour.
That is one of the reasons Harding,Johnstone etc were turfed out.
Richard_Nelson
says...
1:23pm Wed 2 Sep 09
onlyu
says...
2:47pm Wed 2 Sep 09
guardian says...
2:30pm Tue 1 Sep 09