BETTER SERVICES, LOWER TAX INCREASES AND AN END TO COMPLACENCY

10.59.08pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 25th Apr 2005

Hampshire Liberal Democrats are launching their Manifesto for the County Council elections today. The elections, which will be held on the same day as the General Election, will decide the 78 councillors who will run Hampshire County Council for the next four years.

The Liberal Democrats are making three main pledges:

*To introduce an Alternative Budget within 11 days of winning power*

The Liberal Democrat Alternative Budget will provide for:

• £1m extra to tackle the backlog of road and footway maintenance

• Community Safety Officers for every District of Hampshire

• Recruitment of many more Youth Workers to sort out bored youngsters

• Reinstatement of last Autumn's cuts in Leisure Learning

• Larger Behaviour Support Teams to tackle school behaviour problems

• A £250,000 increase in the Library Book Fund

• Foster Carers' allowances to be brought up to the national rate

*No council tax increases above inflation during the next four years*

Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Adrian Collett, said: "Council Tax has shot up by 80% during the 8 years since the Conservatives gained control of the County Council in 1997. Inflation has been just 30% in that time. This is hitting some sections of the community very harshly. Until Council Tax can be replaced with a fairer system local authorities must be very careful what they charge.

"Liberal Democrats will cut back on spin and publicity, make significant savings on procurement costs, make green savings on energy and fuel and drive a strong campaign to bring costs down. In that way we can improve services while keeping tax under control."

*End Conservative Complacency*

Cllr Adrian Collett said: "Councils are assessed and audited these days as if it was going out of fashion. These assessments can give some very useful indicators of how and where things can be improved. However, ever since one of these assessments, known as the 'Comprehensive Performance Assessment' categorised Hampshire as 'Excellent' the Conservatives have become self-congratulatory and complacent.

"Yet if you look at the state of our roads and pavements, the lack of buses in many parts of Hampshire and the levels of anti-social behaviour, it is plain to see that there are no grounds for such self-congratulation. It's time for a change to a new council that will tackle these problems and shake off this complacency!"

Related Links:

Read the Liberal Democrats Hampshire County Manifesto 2005.

Full county manifesto.