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23/04/08 : Conservative Council Tax Con Exposed
Tory leaflets attacking Labour’s record in Reading on Council Tax have been exposed as a sham - by figures which show that, over the ten years since the unitary Councils were set up, Council Tax in Labour Reading has increased by a smaller percentage than in neighbouring Wokingham and West Berkshire, both Tory-controlled.
Official figures for the six Berkshire unitaries are in the spreadsheet you can download to the right. In summary, since 1998-9:
Council Tax in Tory West Berkshire has gone up by 82.6%
Council Tax in Tory Wokingham has gone up by 78.9%
Council Tax in Labour Reading has gone up by 76.3%
The Band D figure for West Berkshire, at £1416.35, is actually higher than Reading’s, at £1409.96.
Labour Council Leader David Sutton says: “Reading’s Labour Council believes in quality public services and prudent financial management, and these figures prove it. Despite what they say, the Reading Tories know this full well. They need to explain how come Tory West Berkshire have cut care for the elderly and vulnerable, do the bare minimum on pensioners’ travel, don’t support holiday play schemes like ours, are miserly with the voluntary sector, have paltry library and leisure services - particularly in Tilehurst and Calcot, and still charge a higher Council Tax than Labour Reading. The Conservatives are simply trying to con the voters by concealing their own record in neighbouring Councils, which is one of higher taxes and worse public services.”
Labour MP for Reading West Martin Salter adds: 'Given the savage cuts to care services to elderly and disabled, the restrictions on pensioners bus travel and the closure of Ryeish Green School, it’s difficult to see how the Conservative Party can ask the people of Reading to trust them to manage the public finances and local services in our town -when their own record in West Berks and Wokingham is so poor!”
Apology: Through a technical glitch, the name of Dave Peasley was inadvertently and wrongly included in the above paragraph in a first issue of this item. It was removed as soon as this was drawn to our attention, and Reading & District Labour Party would like to apologise to Dave Peasley for any embarrassment that may have been caused.
This article amended 28 April 2008.
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Analysis of Council Tax Rates since 1998/9 (pdf)
Figures provided by Directorate of Resources, Reading Borough Council.
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