The last four years of the Tories in control at County Hall proved
there is world of a difference between a Tory County Council and
Labour one.
The Tories nationally ask us to judge them on what they have
done in local government.
In Northamptonshire Tories have proved that they do not care
about hard working families or the weakest in our society. They
have piled on the council tax, lavished money on our wealthiest
communities and cut services to the most vulnerable.
Worst of all, the Tories have wasted over £ 32 m of your
hard earned money on consultants. The Tories – the so called
‘Party of business’ also managed to employ a solicitor
not qualified to practice - and then promote him – amd enter
into a contract for £32m that we are now told was unlawful.
The Liberals are no better spending £ 4 m on consultants
and racking up a deficit of £ 8 m in Northampton while giving
themselves huge pay rises.
Labour believe the people of Northamptonshire deserve better
than that. But, as the Tories have shown, words are cheap and
these words mean nothing without proper financial management of
the authority. The Labour administration up to 2005 delivered
three out of four years under budget and left the authority with
sound reserves.
It is going to be a hard job restoring decency, competency and
financial stability to the County Council but Labour can do it.
