South Gloucestershire Conservatives promise more police on the beat, the roll-out of superfast broadband and a recycling reward scheme if they win next month’s local elections.
The party’s manifesto was launched in Bradley Stoke’s Town Square on Friday, in the presence of local MP Jack Lopresti and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey.
The document, entitled “Making Promises, Keeping Them and Delivering Value for Money”, includes these key promises:
- Keep household bills down by controlling council tax, insulating more homes and investigating a ‘rewards4recycling’ scheme
- Support our local economy and jobs by delivering the flagship Science Park, campaigning for the roll-out of superfast broadband, make small business rate relief automatic and keep car parking free
- Invest in our schools to give our young people the best possible opportunities in life
- Secure the maximum possible health facilities at Frenchay, Cossham, Southmead and Thornbury Hospitals
- More police on the beat by working closer with the council
South Gloucestershire Conservative Group Leader Cllr John Calway said:
“Since 2007, not only have we kept the promises we made, but residents’ efforts have helped us go even further.”
“However, we know there’s more to do, but as we start on the hard road of paying off Labour’s debt, we won’t be able to afford to do everything that we would like to.”
“But, just like four years ago, we won’t make promises we cannot keep.”
Cllr Calway continued:
“We know that over four days, the £120 million a day the country is spending on debt interest is the equivalent of South Gloucestershire Council’s entire annual budget.”
“That debt interest is money that is being paid to foreign creditors for them to spend on their schools and libraries, rather than our own here in South Gloucestershire.”
“In order for us not to pass this debt onto our children, it has to be reduced, and the longer we leave it, the worse it will get.”
“Not long after we formed a Conservative administration after the 2007 local elections, we predicted the tough times that the previous Labour government’s out-of-control public spending would lead us to and so we began to look at ways to reduce costs without reducing services.”
“That earlier work has meant that this council is one of the most well-prepared authorities in the country to deal with its expected and understandable reduction in government funding.”
“In fact, the recent council budget actually saw investment increased in the vital services we all rely on, including youth services and care for the elderly, not to mention a council tax freeze.”
“In the years ahead, we need to eliminate what remains of the waste, inefficiency and duplication in the system in order to continue to protect and improve the services that our fellow residents want.”
“Working together with our fellow residents, we can protect South Gloucestershire, even as we pay off Labour’s debt.”
“At the same time, we are promising to deliver even better value for money and make our district even greener, safer and more prosperous by strengthening our local economy and investing in our schools so our children have the best possible start in life.”
Locally, the Conservatives currently hold four of the five Bradley Stoke seats on South Gloucestershire Council. Cllrs Brian Hopkinson, Sarah Pomfret, Rob Jones and John Ashe are all standing for re-election and are joined by the current Mayor of Bradley Stoke Ben Walker, who contests the Bradley Stoke North seat currently held by Cllr Jon Williams (Lib Dem).
Photo (L-R): Cllr John Ashe, Tom Aditya, Ed Vaizey MP, Cllr Brian Hopkinson, Jack Lopresti MP, Cllr Sarah Pomfret, Cllr Roger Avenin, Cllr Ben Walker.
More info and related links:
- South Gloucestershire Conservative Manifesto 2011 [PDF, 106kB]
- 2011 District and Town Elections (The Journal)
“£120 million a day the country is spending on debt interest”
Big scary number but actually less as a percentage of GDP, thus more sustainable, than in 1997.
“That debt interest is money that is being paid to foreign creditors for them to spend on their schools and libraries”
Actually only 20% of it is, as 80% of our national debt is owned by us the British people mainly through our pension funds. So, in reality £96m a day is going to ourselves and being spent on our schools, libraries, etc.
“Not long after we formed a Conservative administration after the 2007 local elections, we predicted the tough times”
WOW! South Glos Tories must have some real economic gurus working for them, George Osborne was signed up to Labour’s spending plans all the way to Autumn 2008.
What I want to know is why do I have a green wheelie bin standing idle 98% of the time. I don’t do very much gardening and when I do the waste goes in the compost bin South Glos gave us a few years ago. Why can’t I alternate between putting plastic and cardboard in the green bin for collection?
What a load of old tosh from the Tories, and especially John Calway.
More police on the beat? Don’t make me laugh – the Tories are cutting police numbers drastically.
Labour’s debt? Really? Nothing about the greedy bankers (who George Osbourne has let off the hook) who plunged us into the crisis in the first place.
Delivering the flagship Science Park? What S Glos Council is delivering the Science Park? No it isn’t! And anyway, the Science Park was a Labour initiative in the first place!
Council Tax freeze? What, you mean just like every other local authority in the country.
I’d like to know why the S Glos Tories are abandoning our old folk to the vagaries of discredited private care providers.
More total tosh from our disingenuous local Tories who showed their true colours with Cllr Jones’ infamous ‘We’re not cutting enough’ tweet. Same old nasty Tories – leopards don’t change their spots….
It’s all very well the Conservatives promising not to make promises they can’t keep, but we now know how much delight Cllr Robert Jones and his chums will take in making as many cuts as possible over the next four years.
One forgets that it was the Conservatives who were in opposition and what a hash they made of that. They let Labour run riot with spending.They should have been more effective.Can we expect anything more now they are in government?
I doubt it. Its all blame Labour, blame Labour but they are equally to blame for not providing a check on what Labour were doing.Now they are cutting jobs in the public sector ,saying local government ,police and the NHS are too expensive.Frankly I think MPs and councillors are too expensive and we need to cut a few of them for what good they do!
Avon and Somerset Constabulary, by its own admission, will be shedding 250 officers due to the government’s 20% cut. So who is John Galway going to be putting on the beat, Big Society volunteers?