LABOUR GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT FOR KENT ABOVE INFLATION

The Labour Government has once again made an above inflation settlement for Kent County Council with an around £40 million increase over the previous year or +4.2%. This continues a whole series of inflation busting settlements under Labour compared with continued cutbacks in the Tory years. Such a settlement is designed to keep Council Tax increases within reasonable limits.

Needless to say, the Tory administration at County Hall, are whinging yet again that the Government has not given them enough. They are claiming that funding is down by -5.3% but this highly artificial figure can only be calculated by using data which does not compare like with like and by taking an element of the core funding which represents less than a quarter of the total sum made available to Kent County Council.

Mike Eddy, Shadow Leader on Kent County Council, says:

"It is clear that the Tories are out to try and justify an above average Council Tax increase by making unsupported claims of Government stinginess. They claim that money is going "up North" when, in fact, it is coming South as the Government has top sliced the Northern authorities in order to give Kent more than what is its strict due. Instead of moaning incessantly, the Tories should be thanking the Northern authorities for the help they have given Kent."

Derek Smyth, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, says:

"The use of artificially contrived figures to claim cutbacks in core funding when the opposite is the case, damages the relationship with the Government. Currently the Government is considering local authority funding up to 2011. The Tory claim to be "fighting for Kent" in this review demands reasoned engagement with the Government not a series of silly party political stunts. Failure to understand this reality can only undermine Kent's case with the Government and, therefore, in turn the needs of the County Council tax payers."