17/03/06 - Popular Former Labour Councillor Backs Conservative Council Tax Work

Cllr Andy Harrison, now an Independent Councillor, but the former lead on Finance in the Labour Group on Swindon Borough Council writes that the Conservative Group are making good use of the Council's resources.

Swindon Advertiser Letters Page - 17th March 2006

"D REEVE was quite wrong in his "Tories are not giving cash back" letter (Swindon Advertiser, March 7).

The Tories did give a lot back to Swindon's council taxpayers by searching out council waste and increasing efficiencies that reduced last year's council tax rise to a mere three per cent.

If Swindon Council were better funded by the Government and the Government didn't keep landing local taxpayers with the financial cost of introducing an ever-increasing nanny state, there could well have been a zero rate increase in council tax.

Again this year the Tories introduced yet another low increase. Once more the Conservative administration brought this about by reducing council waste and making better use of council assets. I once wrote that the Tories would sell off the family silver, but now I realise that the cost of keeping that silver on the shelf is sometimes too high a price for the people of Swindon to pay."

Councillor Andy Harrison
Independent - Penhill

Councillor Justin Tomlinson, "Cllr Andy Harrison was the 4th Labour Councillor to resign from the failing Swindon Labour Group.  He was well respected by the Conservative Group as he always did everything he could to try and protect the residents he represented from further Council Tax misery.  His loss was a real blow to the out of touch Labour Group.  Without his financial expertise they were unable to put forward a Council Tax budget for the first time in decades, a humilating blow for the last remaining Labour Councillors ahead of the predicted election wipe out in May."