News from Brent Labour

Brent Lib Dem council tax con as Icelandic bank debacle hits home

Brent Council’s Liberal Democrats have lied again over raising council tax. Before the last election the Lib Dems promised to freeze Brent’s council tax whilst their Conservative allies promised to cut it. In fact, the Lib Dem/Tory coalition has actually increased council tax by more than £100 since they came to power in 2006.

In addition, the Lib Dems have imposed a series of stealth taxes in the form of inflation-busting increases in fees and charges for a wide range of council services. The elderly and disabled have already been particularly hard hit by a whopping 214 percent increase in charges for home care and the Lib Dems are proposing further hikes of up to 300 percent in some care charges. This is despite the Lib Dems’ pre-election pledge of “free personal care for the elderly”. They also promised to cut spending on publicity but spending on council publicity has gone up by more than 60 percent. They promised a fair deal for motorists with free parking permits for residents. Instead they kept the charges and are making more money out of motorists than ever before. In fact, the Lib Dems have broken every promise they made to the electorate in 2006.

This year’s tax increase and increased charges follows the Council losing £15 million in Icelandic banks. They ignored warnings against putting the money into Iceland just before Iceland’s financial system collapsed.

The Lib Dems try to blame the government for not giving the Council enough money. The truth is that the Labour government has increased funding to local government by more than 40% in real terms. Brent schools alone are receiving an additional £11 million this year, one of the largest increases in England.

The Leader of Brent Council’s Labour Opposition, Cllr Ann M John, OBE, said:

“The Lib Dems deliberately lied to the electorate in 2006 and are now casting around for scapegoats but the truth is if you vote Lib Dem you get conned. That’s why we call this administration the Lib Dem Cons.”

Other news from Brent Labour

• Liberal Democrat councillors go AWOL in Brent - 23 January 2012
• Brent Labour condemns privatisation of 999 Control Room Function - 21 January 2012
• Brent Labour brands Clegg's party the "Fib Dems" over broken promises - 21 October 2010