Lib Dems call for an end to 'Politics on the Rates' (South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@secambslibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems call for an end to 'Politics on the Rates'

January 12, 2009 7:26 PM

"The news that Stagecoach, for commercial reasons, has increased its Park & Ride and weekly Megarider fares by 10% is a blow for bus users, but comes as an even bigger blow after residents were receiving at the same time the County Council's 'Your Cambridgeshire' Magazine,' comments Lib Dem County Leader, David Jenkins, 'a magazine that assures them that bus prices have been frozen!"

"This same magazine goes on to tell us how that Council is helping address the 'credit crunch' when a month after the Council meeting that passed measures to help with the effects of the credit crunch, the agencies still haven't received a penny from the Council to allow them to help more people over debt, redundancy and home repossession," adds Cllr. Nichola Harrison.

"In Cambridge, the CAB is turning away 20 people a day and the waiting list for specialist appointments is six weeks. Every lost day is critical to people in financial crisis. Since 9 December, Cambridgeshire County Council's 'caring Conservatives' could have helped hundreds of people and they have failed to do so."

"Much is made of the improvements to Adult Support Services - without mentioning that two stars in no more than average or that the Inspectors remained very critical of the County's performance in many areas," notes Lib Dem Spokes, Cllr Geoff Heathcock.

"Not one mention is made in the article on the Guided Bus about the financial problems being experienced with this project," adds David Jenkins, "Nor is any apology offered for the far longer than planned disruptions to village access for residents near to the route."

"This magazine is nothing more than 'politics on the rates'. In these difficult times our money should be spent on services and not on trying to put the ruling Conservatives in a good light a few months before the elections in June. We Liberal Democrats pay for, and distribute, our own Focus newsletters across the County. It doesn't seem unreasonable to ask the ruling Tories to do the same."