Newcastle Conservatives have condemned a decision by Newcastle City Councillors to vote themselves a 2.25% increase in their allowances, whilst also voting to pour yet more misery on hard pressed council tax payers with a 2.8% council tax hike.
Executive Support Members, such as Greg Stone the LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Newcastle East, will receive an increase in their allowance of over £1700 back-dated to May. Before the increase, each person living in the Newcastle contributes £2.45 to the basic councillor allowance, compared to £1.93 in Leeds and £1.90 in Birmingham.
Jon Aydon, Newcastle Conservatives spokesman for Newcastle North, said: “I am very disappointed that Liberal Democrats have chosen not to put their above inflation council tax increase to the voters in a referendum to be held alongside the European Elections. We will take every opportunity to remind voters of their arrogance.
“Like Gordon Brown and the Labour Government, Liberal Democrats are mortgaging our city. Their decision to reward themselves increases in their allowances whilst sticking two fingers to the residents is an outrage. Newcastle’s Band D council tax will be more than double the council tax of Wandsworth and Westminster and it’s clear that neither Labour nor Liberal Democrats can be trusted to deliver efficient public services in Newcastle. “In Tyne and Wear, it is clear that the stronger the Conservative voice in the council chamber, the lower the council tax burden is. Of the major cities in England, known as the core cities, councils under Conservative leadership are giving better value for money than those controlled by Labour and Liberal Democrats.
Jason Smith, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, said: “Newcastle Liberal Democrats had an opportunity to reduce the burden on people worried about their jobs and household income but chose instead to squeeze yet more money out of us all, whilst paying themselves more. LibDems do not have the courage to put their budget plans to the voters because they know, as we do, that they would lose the argument.”
