Parties roll out their local election battle plans

6 May 04
Labour and the Conservatives have fired the opening salvos in this year's local elections campaign, levelling allegations of high spending and town hall mismanagement at one other.

07 May 2004

Labour and the Conservatives have fired the opening salvos in this year's local elections campaign, levelling allegations of high spending and town hall mismanagement at one other.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown launched Labour's campaign in Leeds on May 4, where they claimed that the Tories' £35bn efficiency savings plan would mean cutting council budgets. Blair said the Tories would also set higher rates of council tax.

'They will slash £2.4bn from the local government grant, a cut that will wreck the regeneration of our communities and harm the services that matter most,' he said.

'The Tories also deliver higher council tax. On average, Tory councils cost £200 a year per dwelling more than Labour councils.'

But the Tories pointed out that many Labour authorities had relatively large numbers of properties in lower council tax bands, and therefore less tax was paid. Comparing council tax on Band D properties, the Tories claim that councils they control charge an average of £946, while Labour councils charge £1,003.

Tory leader Michael Howard, launching his party's campaign in Birmingham on the same day, said: 'However much the government tries to rig the funding or fiddle the formula, Conservative councils still keep taxes low.'

The English and Welsh local elections taking place on June 10 alongside European Parliament elections are widely regarded as a dry run for the general election.

There will be 4,807 seats contested on 144 English councils, and all 1,264 seats on the 22 Welsh authorities. London mayoral and Assembly elections will be held.

Howard said his party would cut red tape, reduce costs and devolve power. 'The tentacles of Whitehall have begun to strangle local councils,' he said. 'Today in Britain, councils face greater burdens, more regulations and higher charges.'

Sir Jeremy Beecham, leader of the Labour group in the Local Government Association, said the Tories were serving up 'warmed-over Thatcherism'.

He added: 'The Tories have nothing to say about reforming the council tax, about the balance of funding, or about meeting housing need. Their proposals on education are unworkable and, on policing, uncosted.'

PFmay2004

Did you enjoy this article?

AddToAny

Top