Labour Doesn't Care About Swindon

Labour doesn’t care about Swindon:  The provisional local government financial settlement announced on 4th December gave Swindon Borough Council a disappointing increase in Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) of just 4.3%.  As a result of this low level of central government support, the Conservative administration is to consult on a 9.5% increase in council tax for 2002/3.  The following are essential points to note:
 
  • The Labour government is starving Swindon of essential resources.  For 2002/3 Swindon Borough Council has received a poor provisional financial settlement from central government.  The average increase in SSA for comparable shire unitary authorities is 5.3%.  Swindon’s increase is only 4.3%.
 
  • The Labour government has consistently starved Swindon of essential resources.  This year’s settlement is not a one off.  The Labour government has consistently given Swindon Borough Council poor financial settlements.  Last year, for instance, comparable shire unitary authorities received an average SSA increase of 4.3%.  Swindon’s increase was only 3.4%. 
 
  • The Labour government prioritises education but is not prepared to pay for it.  The Labour government claims to prioritise education, yet the funding it gives to Swindon’s education service is inadequate.  Nationally, the Labour government has increased the SSA for education by 6.2%.  Locally, the government has increased Swindon’s SSA for education by only 4.3%.  This is a scandal, given that Ofsted requires Swindon to maximise resources for education. 
 
  • Labour’s local legacy is a financial farce.  The poor financial management of successive local Labour administrations has exacerbated shortfalls in funding from central government.  Under Labour, Swindon Borough Council failed to budget properly or spend effectively.  The result is a huge deficit in the council’s finances.  This year, as an emergency short-term measure, we must raise council tax levels to close this deficit and thereby protect essential services.
 
  • We must hold Labour to account for their poor record.  People should ask their local Labour MPs to explain why the Labour government continues to starve Swindon of resources for essential services.  People should ask any Labour representatives to explain why previous Labour administrations squandered the resources Swindon did receive.
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