Essex Residents Need Services Not Spin say Lib Dems

11.57.00pm GMT Tue 10th Feb 2009

Less money on spin and more money on services, was the call from Liberal Democrats as the group announced its alternative budget at Essex County Council today (10 February). Also included in their plan was a one-off rebate, giving back taxpayers money that has been stockpiled by the ruling Conservatives for several years.

The Lib Dems revealed their vision for Essex including these measures:

• A cut in the Conservative council's spend on publicity and spin - with the money going straight into providing frontline services

• A one off rebate of £50 to each household in council tax property bands A-D which would benefit around ¾ of households in Essex

• Increased spending on young people including measures for getting more young people into work through an apprenticeship scheme

• Extra money for advising people on reducing and recycling as much rubbish as possible

Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes (Liberal Democrat leader, Chelmsford North) said: "The current administration has the wrong priorities. They have used council taxpayers' money to build up huge reserve funds that have sat unused for years. We would remedy this, by recommending a one-off £50 rebate to around 440,000 households across the county, putting much needed cash back into the pockets of low and middle-income families.

"The other trend is that basic public services have been neglected, whilst the council's appetite for self-promotion has skyrocketed. The administration is now in a position where its services for safeguarding vulnerable children have been found by independent inspectors to be so worryingly inadequate that a monthly report to a government minister is required.

"On the other hand, we have seen an endless stream of headline grabbing gimmicks from the council's media department, including the cringe-worthy job offer made to whichever contestant was runner-up in the BBC's 'The Apprentice' show, before the winners were known. We have recommended cutting the publicity budget and putting the money directly into frontline services.

"There has been a seismic shift by the Tories, away from providing high quality basic public services and towards running a corporation that is focussed on branding and image. Clearly we are seeing a jaded administration bored with the day job and looking for something more exotic that makes them look important - regrettably at the taxpayers' expense."