At tonight's Cabinet meeting we recommended a below inflation 2.2% Council Tax increase whilst maintaining services with no cuts. Cabinet members have met on a regular basis since August, sometimes three times a week for over three hours to go over the budget and where we can find efficiency savings without cutting back on front line services to residents, such as bin collections, schools, older people and Children's Services. Tonight we recommended a 2.2% increase whilst supporting increasing demand of £3m in elderly people services, £1.2m in Learning Disability Services and £800.000 in Physical Disability Services. The Cabinet also recommended £5m in balances which shows that we have a healthy balance in order to deal with emergencies. If we could propose a zero increase without bankrupting Reading we would have done so. However, we spent hours with senior council officers attempting to get the lowest possible increase without damaging valuable services.
Reading Labour have historically, for over twenty years been the only political party able, prepared and capable of putting together a budget that runs Reading, offering good services, stability and best value for all the people of Reading, regardless of location, voting preference and lifestyle.
Only Reading owns its public transport, theatre and local authority housing stock. Only Reading supports all its older people and offers a service regardless of need to the elderly and only Reading is increasing its budget for Children and Education. Reading residents unlike those in Wokingham and West Berkshire do not have to travel to another Borough to get leisure facilities, libraries and recycling facilities.
You will hear other parties, such as the Tories churning out politically motivated statements such as a zero council tax increase, borrowed from National Tory HQ, without explaining how they would achieve this. They hope that they can get away with not even attempting to put together a budget but just concentrating on our comprehensive spending plans. It is interesting that when Tories are in control, such as Wokingham. Bracknell and West Berkshire they have ignored Cameron's political gesturing and set a rate that is an increase of 2% or thereabouts.
If you happen to see a Tory on your doorstep ask them what they plan to do after the election if they came to power. Ask them how they intend to pay for their phantom zero increase without selling off the buses or council housing, or cutting services to the elderly and children.
The Tories will oppose everything Labour puts forward to attempt to agree a budget without offering any alternatives whatsoever. They have no intentions of forming a budget to ensure teachers and social workers are being paid, bins are emptied and council staff are being paid. They will vote down everything and leave it to the minority Labour administration to try and ensure that Reading continues to run smoothly. I hope that the Lib Dems rise above the shenanigans of last years charade of a council meeting and put the people of Reading first and not their own political party. The people of Reading deserve more from its politicians. Yes there is an election looming, I know this as I am up for election. But save it for May and lets put together a budget that keeps Reading moving.
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