The London Borough of Camden has declared an £11M surplus in its latest Financial report. This is the second year running it has declared a size-able surplus. At the same time, the overall level of government support remains at levels last seen in 2008 and 2009 - reasonable good years for government funding.
The borough continues to enjoy good financial health which comes on the back of the Labour administration choosing to:
- cut libraries service and shift some libraries away from Council support,
- cut support services for the elderly, raising fees and closing others,
- reduce child care support, sport and youth services,
- cut two sport centres, including Maitland Park gym during the Olympic year, and,
- drag its feet on increasing primary places for our kids while remaining actively hostile to gallant Free School initiatives.
And where, you may ask, is the Labour administration spending its £11M largesse. Here are just two examples:
- an extra £3.7M on the new headquarters building for Council operations on top on the many millions earmarked for this project, which they labelled as a "Vanity Project" between 2008 and 2010, and,
- £2M on a new ill-defined and amorphous "Camden Plan".
The rest of their spending plan does not make for easy reading either. Worse yet, the Labour-run Council's medium term plans include a 2.5% increase in council tax in 2013.
What planet are they on? These are difficult economic times for the majority of us. Most residents would expect some relief in taxes and the retention of valued services given Camden's largesse. A Conservative run Camden, focusing on value for money, would constantly strive for this outcome - to the benefit of our elderly, our young people, and, our hard working families and individuals.
Once again Labour Camden chooses to tax and spend recklessly. Same old Labour!
Cllr Don Williams