Propaganda on the rates! (Northampton Liberal Democrats)

Northampton Liberal Democrats <info@northamptonlibdems.org.uk>

Propaganda on the rates!

August 9, 2007 12:07 AM

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Councillor Brian Hoare, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Councillors on Northamptonshire County Council has accused the Conservative Administration of using Council Tax payers money to fund council propaganda.

Northamptonshire County Council have just published 2,000 copies of a document entitled "Report to the People - Reporting back on our achievements" The report covers the period 2005 to 2007 and lists the achievements of the present administration. It is available from Council office reception areas and Libraries. The cost is estimated at approx. £2,000 (a pound a copy!)

Cllr. Brian Hoare says: "This is like a Mid-Term report on the Conservative Administration. However it emphasis the positive and ignores the negatives. It reports on a:

• "New direction for youth services" but fails to point out that the youth consultancy services that the council now funds for Northampton is available for 15 hours a week compared with 26 from the previous provider.

• It talks about the record investment in schools, but fails to state that the council failed in its legal duty to provide 21 hours of education within six days for pupils excluded from schools.

• It states that "Adult care team helps thousands" but fails to point out that the new "eligability criteria" to access social services have reduced Social Care Services to over 1,500 people and that they have closed Respite Centres and elderly people's Residential Homes.

Cllr. Hoare continued: "This is a clear example of party publicity on the rates, it is not a balanced document reporting all the facts, only selected ones. - In Liberal Democrat run councils such as Milton Keynes, their Annual Reports are produced, delivered and paid for by the party, not by the council tax payers. That is what the Conservatives in Northamptonshire should be doing - instead they are spending the council tax payers money promoting themselves."