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Forget emails, debate issues in public
• COUNCIL leader James Kempton has called on people to say whether they support Islington Labour’s budget proposal of universal free school meals for primary and nursery school children together with a targeted tax cut for pensioners, or if they support the Liberal Democrat idea of a tax freeze.
For me, a politician receiving a small number of emails represents a very low form of participation. Rather than sitting in the Town Hall clicking send/receive, surely we should be making the case to the people and providing some leadership for Islington.
That is why I want to challenge him to a public debate on our budget proposals – no deputies, no computer presentations – just the arguments and two group leaders.
Such a debate would have to be organised soon, and I can think of no better opportunity than before the overview meeting next Tuesday.
CLLR CATHERINE WEST
Labour group leader
• THE issue around the level of council tax should not be about which party will get its plans through. The right thing to do for residents in these extraordinary times we find ourselves in should be what matters.
We are in a deep recession. People are struggling to make ends meet. People are losing their jobs. And things are likely to get worse. That’s why Liberal Democrats believe the council should be on residents’ side and do all it can to help. The main thing we can do is keep the council tax as low as possible, as we have done every year since we took control of the council. This year, in particular, Liberal Democrats believe we should not impose a council tax rise.
This is only possible because of the Liberal Democrats’ prudent management of council finances. But we will also maintain all our frontline services that residents want – school improvements, better street cleaning, better parks and community safety – by finding £10million of efficiency savings. Labour’s plans sound superficially attractive. But it cannot or will not give answers to the following:
l Extending free school meals won’t go to the people most in need. Most primary-age children who need free school meals get them already. Is it right that free school meals will go to children of the likes of Lord Adonis and Boris Johnson? What about secondary students?
l How is this going to be funded? Just cutting councillors’ salaries and communications won’t deliver the goods. Labour wants a blank cheque and a council tax hike in a recession.
Islington has a large number of students from Haringey and Hackney. Is it right that Islington taxpayers subsidise them?
Even neighbouring Labour Haringey Council is refusing to back free school meals for all. The question for Labour in Islington is: will it put up the council tax for everybody to help those least in need?
CLLR JOHN GILBERT
Liberal Democrat executive member for finance
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