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CARTER HIDES BEHIND VULNERABLE CHILDREN TO EXCUSE COUNCIL TAX RISE
Kent Labour condemns Paul Carter and Kent County Council’s current Conservative administration for the way in which they seek to hide their proposed council tax rise behind vulnerable children.
Mike Eddy, Labour Shadow Leader of KCC, says: “KCC and several other authorities commissioned a report by Price Waterhouse Coopers looking at their claims that the Government owed them money for services to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
“The report was only produced at the end of last week, but KCC wants ministers to roll over and give it what it wants now, before having a proper look at their demands. That is unacceptable. The Labour Government is already in negotiations with KCC about asylum costs, but for KCC to demand that ministers should hand over taxpayers’ money without a second thought is just plain stupid”.
Mike Eddy went on to say: “In a press release dated 21st January 2008 to announce the 2008-09 Budget, based on a council tax rise of 3.9%, Paul Carter said that ‘In deciding this budget we have assumed that our costs for looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will be reimbursed by government. If they are not this may have an impact on council tax’.
“The council tax rise that the Conservatives proposed today hasn’t changed from their original proposal of 3.9%. As such, neither unaccompanied asylum-seeking children nor the Government are to blame for the level of council tax that the people of Kent will have to pay next year. That blame should be laid squarely at the door of Paul Carter’s office”.
Derek Smyth, Labour Shadow Leader and Finance spokesperson, said: “Paul Carter said in a press release today that he ‘would very much have liked to give taxpayers something back by reducing the proposed council tax increase’. If that’s the case, why didn’t he welcome and support Kent Labour’s alternative Budget, which would have reduced the council tax rise to 3.5%?
“As usual, the current Conservative Leader would rather point the finger at anyone else than take a long, hard look at the way he and his Cabinet spend other people’s money”.
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