Opinion
Featured in various local newspapers, October 2009:
Dear Editor,Last week at the Labour Party Conference, Communities Secretary John Denham made the bold declaration that Labour would campaign on the record of Conservative councils.
At last Labour has a campaign worth supporting. I too will be out campaigning on the record of Conservative-led councils.
On the record of Conservative councils which cut waste, improve front-line services, and deliver value for money.
Okay, as a Conservative Councillor I may be a little biased in this debate. But when Labour states that one of their main campaigns is to try and blame local councils for their failures, you can hear the bottom of the campaign barrel being scraped.
The Labour Government will not be telling voters in Bath and North East Somerset that they are severely under-funding over-60's bus passes, costing residents £1.3 million a year in our area alone.
Nor will they be informing voters that their unfair local-authority grant calculation means they are holding back over £2 million every year from B&NES, equivalent to an extra 3 per cent on council tax.
Nor will they be telling voters about the time and resources that are wasted on jumping through central-Government hoops and targets.
And of course they will not be telling voters of failing to properly fund their flag-ship free swimming programme two-years running, asking the council to pick up the bill yet again and meaning local residents miss out.
But if Labour really are prepared to campaign on the record of what local Conservatives are delivering for residents here, then this is very welcome.
Residents will be reminded that local Conservatives have brought down council-tax rises to their lowest in over a decade, delivering efficiency savings and balanced budgets year on year.
Residents can also be reminded that local Conservatives have delivered budget the Council's major projects on time and on, including new Community Resource Centres, and the new St Keyna, Three Ways and Fosseway schools.
Residents can also be reminded that local Conservatives keep their promises.
Keeping the Conservative pledge to maintain the weekly bin collections and improve the service by introducing same-day waste and recycling collections.
Keeping the Conservative pledge to support local Dial-a-Ride services, investing a quarter of a million pounds a year into the service, without Government support.
And keeping the Conservative pledge to invest more in Safer Routes to School schemes, as well as increasing the budget for road maintenance throughout the area.
There are many things which local Conservatives are still working to deliver for residents, and we have to be honest with voters when some of these may not be achievable in this tough financial climate.
But if Labour really are now willing to campaign on the work of local Conservatives, I will join this campaign.
Yours faithfully, Cllr Marie Longstaff, Cons, Keynsham East.