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All these vital services can be restored
• WHEN the parties debated the budget for the coming year, Labour’s amendments would have kept our historic focus on efficiency, while protecting services to our most vulnerable.
Labour would have reversed the outsourcing of Careline to protect the levels of services to our senior citizens, and we also pledged to peg the fee increase to the May 2006 level – to help our poorest pensioners and those who need the service most.
The Tories and Lib Dems immediately hiked fees for meals on wheels for older people when they got into power two years ago. Today this costs the average couple an extra £250 a year, making a mockery of their slogans around council tax. We would have restored meals on wheels charges to the May 2006 level of £2.40, and guaranteed inflation-only increases year-on-year afterwards.
The disgraceful confusion with regards to Frank Barnes School for the Deaf would have been stopped with our amendment and the investment needed to ensure the school is relocated within Camden guaranteed.
Labour would have restored the award-winning welfare rights unit and reversed cuts to local advice services. Since taking over at the Town Hall the Tory/Lib Dems have cut play services. Our amendment would have restored funding to play services and after-school clubs, starting with Kilburn Grange.
Labour would have used the £50 million reserves built up by the council to fund one-offs which really benefit the community. We pledged to support the Jubilee centre by paying for dedicated officer time to sort out new management arrangements and a funding deal so the centre can reopen.
Street wardens have helped to get drugs off our estates. They are known to the community and dedicated to the areas they serve. Our budget proposals would have meant no cuts to the service.
Camden Town and Covent Garden have a vibrant night-time economy. With our budget proposals we would have reinstated late night street cleansing to ensure they are nice places to live as well as visit.
Finally, in our proposals we proposed to reinstate door-to-door recycling on those council estates which want it, and seek to extend it to those who did not have it.
All these services can be restored with almost no impact on the level of council tax.
Cllr ANNA STEWART
Leader, Camden Labour Opposition
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