Tory budget 'a disgrace'!

9.08.09pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 28th Feb 2006

Liberal Democrat councillors made clear their disgust at the budget proposals put together by the Tory administration, at a meeting of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council tonight.

Councillor David Neve, Liberal Democrat Finance spokesperson, spoke at length about the lack of consultation with members of the council tax paying public. "The truth behind the figures in the budget is hidden from the man on the street by the sheer complexity of the documents!" he said after the meeting. "The leader of the council" continued Cllr Neve, "spoke about the fact that the budget has been put together by involving stakeholders over a long period - but how come the most important stakeholder of all, the council tax payer, knew nothing about it?!".

Amendments put by Liberal Democrat councillor David Mills were voted down, and followed by a torrent of abuse from members of the Conservative cabinet. "I proposed an amendment to limit any increases in charges to the rate of inflation, which is, after all, the amount people's income will increase by" said Cllr Mills. "Although we don't yet know the amounts of increases in charges, take the crematorium as an example. Its predicted income is supposed to rise by 10% - we have to assume that charges will increase by the same amount! The Tories would not categorically state that these huge charge increases will not occur".

Despite poor attendance by the Conservatives at the meeting, the budget was passed.