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Letter: The difference between an MP and a councillor
Your correspondent Ms Day-Dempsey seems unable to distinguish between the role of a Member of Parliament and of elected local city councillors in her diatribe aimed at me and the Conservative administration (ET Letters, January 27, “Why should we pay more and get less”?).
Predictably, she fails to acknowledge the disastrous debt millstone bequeathed by her party, which all local authorities are struggling with. Under Labour, for every £4 spent by government, £1 was borrowed. Our debt got so big we were spending £120 million every day just paying the interest – and that bill is getting bigger.
Council tax, too, soared across the country under Labour, with bills hitting £1,439 in band D in England in 2010-11. By contrast, council tax was £688 in 1997-98 when they came to power. This means council tax rose 109 per cent – or an extra £751 a year on a band D home. Since all other bands are set as a percentage of band D, every type of home has seen their bill double.
Labour the low tax party is a laughable idea.
That said, Peterborough City Council’s annual budget is a matter for them and they must make their own case as they see fit. Some local councillors, like my own excellent representative Cllr John Peach, have sincerely and consistently argued for low taxes.
Naturally, I work closely with the administration and cabinet if it is in the best interests of my constituents, and this administration has had a strong record of low council tax and delivery of value for money services since 2000.
Recently, I have supported the city council in their discussions with ministers on crucial areas such as safeguarding children, on winning extra money for the city do deal with the number of children who do not speak English as their first language (EAL) – a legacy of Labour’s policy of unrestricted immigration – on promoting the city’s bid to host the Green Investment Bank and an enterprise zone and extra funding for infrastructure, to name but a few areas of common interest.
We do not, however, agree (at the moment at least) on council tax and I have made my position clear and openly to the leader of the city council and senior officers. My first priority is to my constituents who elected me and I stood on a manifesto in May 2010 which pledged a two year council tax freeze and the Coalition Government is delivering on our election promises. Ms Day-Dempsey should endeavour to get her facts right: I have not broken any promises to Peterborough residents.
I still hope that the council will be able to avoid a rise in council tax and keep bills down for local families in Peterborough, and give hard-working people a much-needed break.
Stewart Jackson MP
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
