Party sets out policies ahead of Council elections
The national debt is forecast to exceed £1 trillion and the British state now borrows about £1 for every £4 that it spends. All areas of public expenditure will have to be reduced. Given this dire situation what aspirations can a Conservative administration have for a second term?
H&F Council had been a Labour council for decades. Rather like this current Labour
government, Labour left the council mired in debt (non housing debt was £169
million) which cost £10 million a year to service. In the last 4 years under the
Conservatives, £24 million of this debt has been repaid saving £2.9 million in debt
interest payments.
H&F is now an ambitious Conservative council that is committed to providing the best possible services at the lowest possible cost to the council taxpayer. We are proud at having led the way in Britain in cutting council tax by 3% four years in a row whilst improving the council services that matter most to our residents.
Now our intention is to hold council tax at current levels for two years followed by renewed reductions of at least 3% per annum. We will continue with round-the-clock town centre beat policing, continue to roll out Neighbourhood Watches and implement more CCTV on estates. We will not let up on the drive to improve the environment of the borough. Of course we will continue to protect the vulnerable, shown by the fact that this Conservative council has a higher safety net than the vast majority of councils.
Finally, our mission is to make H&F your Borough of Opportunity by offering schools of choice, creating a housing ladder of opportunity and regenerating the most deprived parts of the borough.
April 24, 2010
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