Enhancement of our grammar schools, switching street lighting to LED, and maintaining weekly bin collections, rely on rigorous financial management.
The evidence is clear to our residents everywhere they look – new flood alleviation schemes, new sports facilities, digital connectivity, and free bus travel over seasonal weekends.
A heroic councillor in East Grinstead gives up his allowances. The people of Sandwell are indignant about high pay for town hall bosses.
There are far too many town hall officials earning over £90,000 a year. A recruitment freeze would help allow a Council Tax freeze.
Labour’s failures in our borough have been monumental. But our campaign was a positive and optimistic one.
Why does this issue have to be legislated at the national level? Wouldn’t it be better to let local residents and taxpayers decide what is best?
We delivered the largest Council Tax cut of any authority in the UK and we explained to people how we did it.
New high rises have wrecked the look and feel of our borough. People also see their hard-earned money wasted. They understand that things must change.
The shock-absorber is a looser fiscal policy. Although the budget deficit is higher than one would like, the good news is that it is falling sharply.
Decades of careful financial management are now at risk from their spending pledges. We know from Croydon what can happen next.
Plus: Welsh council reserves increase during the pandemic. The complex Council Tax rebate is an utter shambles, with widespread delays.
Plus: Pet projects in Durham, with a £50 million new HQ. Councillors in Wolverhampton increase their allowances by 17 per cent.
We will also adopt a brownfield first building policy – and stop Labour’s plans for destroying the city’s valuable park land.
Local communities have been held back by Labour’s high council tax rates and poor funding. The current settlement is not fit for purpose.