CLLR. JOHN BELL – LABOUR ARE SPENDING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY ON PROPAGANDA
The Leader of Tameside Conservatives, Cllr. John Bell, has hit out at Tameside Council’s Labour Economic Chief, after it was revealed that just 23 per cent of the council’s annual expenditure is spent in the borough.
Cllr. Kieran Quinn, claimed that just 23 per cent of Tameside Council’s annual expenditure is spent in Tameside, prompting Cllr. Bell to ask, “So where does the other 77 per cent of expenditure – over £100 million – go each year? “
Cllr. Bell also said that the Conservative Group supported the council’s Works First initiative to promote and assist local businesses during the recession, but claimed that with so much expenditure being spent elsewhere, “It’s obvious his [Cllr. Quinn’s] Labour council has been putting Tameside works second for too long.”
Cllr. Bell said, “The Conservatives, in principle, support the Tameside Works First initiative. Indeed, its main aim – for the council to pay its bills early – is an idea borrowed from Conservative Leader, David Cameron. It’s an improvement on Labour’s old policy, which saw them take up to NINETY days to pay the council’s bills.”
Cllr. Bell also asked, “What is being done for hard-pressed council taxpayers? Nothing.
“Tameside Labour rejected the Conservative amendment to FREEZE council tax, and instead voted for a 3.15 per cent hike. It never crossed their minds to cut waste in their budget. It never does.
“Instead, they are forcing Tameside council taxpayers to cough up an extra £23 to £70-a-year EXTRA to pay for guff such as: street art and statues, (£288,000), bronze maps (£42,000), community notice boards (£60,000), State of the Area Address (£11,000), Tameside Citizen newspaper (£49,000), Tameside TV (£47,000), and marketing & communications budget increase (£160,000)
“Scrapping these items, along with a moratorium on recruitment – to combat the council’s recognised problem of over-staffing – and a small use of reserves (£402,000 from a pot of £25 million), and Tameside Labour could have supported Conservative proposals and FROZEN council tax for the forthcoming year.
“They didn’t, and now plan a year of propaganda at council taxpayers’ expense.”
Cllr. Bell concluded, “Council taxpayers – don’t be fooled. It’s YOUR money Labour are wasting on THEIR propaganda.”
TAMESIDE CONSERVATIVES 