The Official Opposition on Northamptonshire County Council have today unveiled their alternative budget. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Finance Spokesman at County Hall, Cllr Chris Stanbra, set out the key themes of fighting crime, protecting the vulnerable and boosting the community.
Cllr Stanbra said “The Conservatives are ripping up Northamptonshire’s safety net and making our streets more dangerous. The Liberal Democrats believe that in tough times local people want safer streets, stronger communities and a decent safety net for those who need help.”
“In terms of community safety, the Liberal Democrats want to see PCSO funding maintained and streetlights switched back on. Northamptonshire Conservatives have broken their election promise on PCSOs and plunged Northamptonshire into darkness. Local people have clearly voiced their concern over these cuts and they must be reversed.”
“We want to reverse Conservative cuts to preventative services, which are hitting the most vulnerable hardest and removing frontline services from the elderly, the young, those with mental health problems, children’s centres and the voluntary sector.”
“The Liberal Democrats also want to significantly increase the recruitment of foster parents and give more support to families who adopt. There are simply not enough foster carers in our County and we need a recruitment function that tackles this issue head on so we make sure that local vulnerable children are given stable homes. The pressure on families who adopt is immense, and has led to several breakdowns this year. The County Council must do everything it can to protect our looked after children and give them a stable home. Recruiting more foster carers will also save taxpayers money in the future as we can reduce the number of expensive agency placements.”
“Making sure our communities are supported is also a key priority. The Conservatives are threatening our communities with cuts ranging from libraries and lollipop men and ladies to fire safety checks. The Liberal Democrats will be reversing these cuts.”
“We will also introduce new proposals to help those people, particularly the young, who are struggling to find work. We will start a transport fund to help young people not in education, employment or training to get to job interviews and work placements. We will also seek to set up a pilot scheme for job seekers to get work experience by working within the local voluntary sector. This will benefit job seekers as they learn skills, and help to boost our local charities.”
“Northamptonshire Conservatives have mismanaged the finances for years, as is proven by their addiction to expensive PFI schemes, the £32m Carillion contract fiasco and the botched school sites sale deal, which has cost the taxpayer millions. They have compounded their financial incompetence by wasting money on the back office, such as the multi-million pound Business Intelligence Division, and vanity projects, from their £2m Quango with an office in Brussels to the £3180 portrait of the former Chair of the Council. We will cut back on this wasteful spending to provide for the support Northamptonshire residents need and deserve. ”
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