Low Low Low Prices - Everything Must Go!

Low Low Low Prices - Everything Must Go!
While browsing the web today I visited Nichola Harrison’s site. She’s a Lib Dem County Councillor and I often read her blog because she writes well, is clearly passionate and is often entertaining (perhaps unintentionally, I’m not sure.) Now I must stress that I seldom actually agree with her conclusions, but I do have a soft spot for people who can make a good argument and write from the heart. But her blog piece today, entitled: “If The Lib Dems Ran The County Council” just demanded a response. I apologise in advance for any readers who aren’t particularly interested in party versus party pieces, but I just can’t help myself.

The Lib Dems seem to be proudly trumpeting their claim that if only they were in charge the council tax rise would have been smaller. In opposition its easy to throw a figure and an ‘alternative budget’ (I use the term loosely) into the mix with grand claims. After all, you don’t have to implement it, do you? Then, should the time ever come that you do have to implement it you can introduce that hoary old chestnut “the circumstances are different now.” Of course they are. The circumstances are always different when a brash promise (or series of them) has to actually be realised. Now I don’t blame Nichola or her party for playing the opposition game. I suppose, if the Conservatives were in opposition, we’d probably do the same. But Nichola regularly bemoans the dangers of “party politics” interfering with actually doing the right thing (which, in principle, I agree with her about) while simultaneously playing the exact same game herself. (Which turns her argument to mush.)

Nichola then goes on to say:-

“The party believes that under the Conservatives the Council has become sloppy in the way it uses its resources, so that many millions are being wasted on unnecessary luxuries like the press office and glossy brochures, and on inefficient contractual arrangements for school transport and highway maintenance.”

I love that term: “The Party Believes.” Well, this blogger believes that: “under the Liberal Democrats the council would flush its resources away on pointless vanity projects and have nothing left to actually do the jobs the people who live in the county need.” Why is what Nichola “believes” any more valid than what I “believe”? Readers, you’ve seen the Lib Dems at work often enough around the country. You can make your own call. Would a Liberal Democrat council spend money wisely? I Doubt It.  

In principle, I would agree with Nichola that lower council tax is a good thing.  Who wouldn’t?  None of us want a big bill that we struggle to pay.  Or the sweaty brow of the District Council Enforcement Department leering over our shoulders.  But if slashing the bills means we cannot afford to pay for the services that the people of Cambridgeshire need, we can’t do it.  There are some very vulnerable people who rely on those services.  Who need more care, not less.  It’s the Labour Party who seem to think money can be conjured with the wave of a magic wand.  The Lib Dems are on board with that too, apparently.  I prefer the real world.  Fairy tales are all well and good, but when you have to pay for stuff you need actual money.  Not fictional money.  Slashing the budget in an “Everything Must Go” Closing Down-type sale is not (to my mind) smart management.  Even as an opposition ploy.  It helps nobody.

Finally, Nichola Spells Out Her Party’s Priorities:-

highway maintenance and better traffic management
more police to tackle anti-social behaviour
better local youth services and
more support for voluntary and community organisations
free vegetarian pizza every Friday (I made this last one up.  Sorry.)

Well… uh yeah. Of course. That’s what we all want, Nichola. (Not the vegetarian pizza, obviously.)  That’s what is on every prospective councillor’s election literature, both Lib Dem and Conservative, I would guess. A wish list is a lovely thing. I share your values. I just doubt your party’s  ability to deliver them. Whereas the Conservatives have been delivering fairly consistently for quite some time. I do not claim the Conservatives are perfect. I want to work to help improve the party. I do not claim we are immune to mistakes. That would be Gordon-Brown style arrogance. I just trust Conservatives with my taxes before I’d trust anybody with a yellow rosette. In my experience, Tories Do It Better.  Now that sounds like a slogan for a T-Shirt.  Somebody call the printers…

This entry was posted on 16/04/2009 at 02:53 pm and is filed under Liberal Democrats, Labour Party, Cambs. County Council, Conservatives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.