Now Labour are calling for Tory parliamentary candidate Anne Marie Trevelyan to answer why her Conservative councillors tried to derail the extra cash by voting against the council budget and not even bothering to submit an alternative budget.

BUDGET DELIVERS EXTRA CASH TO KICK START LANDSLIP WORK

Work starts on Rothbury landslip as Labour budget clears Conservative opposition

 

Labour’s budget passed by the council on 26 Feb finally unlocked an extra £1.5m to start the work on the Rothbury landslip despite a decision by Northumberland Conservatives to try and block it by voting against the budget.

The work began with diggers clearing rocks and slippage soil and the vital extra cash provided by the council brings its total contribution to £4m.

Now Labour are calling for Tory parliamentary candidate Anne Marie Trevelyan to answer why her Conservative councillors tried to derail the extra cash by voting against the council budget and not even bothering to submit an alternative budget.

Scott Dickinson, Labour’s PPC in North Northumberland said

“The Tories have to answer why they’re intent on blocking schemes across North Northumberland like the Crag End landslip by voting against the council budget. The scheme would not be underway now if it hadn’t been for a Labour council facing down Tory opposition. This is yet another example of them putting politics before people”.

 

 

“Our plans to grow the Northumberland economy have been fought tooth and nail by local Tories and it’s a bit rich for them to pretend to be interested in the local economy.

LABOUR INTRODUCES FREE PARKING ACROSS COUNTRY PARKS

Tory opposition fails to stop latest boost to local economy as budget passes new free parking scheme amongst the ‘budget for jobs and investment’

 Hot on the heels of the delivery of free parking for Northumberland’s towns which was opposed by ConDems in Labour’s first budget in 2014, Labour in Northumberland are planning to roll out a new scheme to make parking free in the county’s Country Parks such as Druridge Bay Country Park.

The budget passed by Labour last week (26 Feb) was hailed as a ‘budget for jobs and investment’ by Labour’s PPC in North Northumberland Scott Dickinson who highlighted the free parking scheme for country parks as an ‘example of a small scheme which will boost tourism’. He also pointed to new building schemes like new leisure facilities for Hadston, £35m injection into a reopened Ashington-Blyth-Tyne line which will see new job opportunities for the rural coalfields and the new investment in the South East which will see an increase in house prices in the rural areas on the edge of North Northumberland.

He also pointed to new investment in affordable houses which will see hundreds of new affordable homes built across North Northumberland with new jobs and a boost for local firms as part of the supply chain.

Scott Dickinson, the Labour PPC in North Northumberland said

“Our plans to grow the Northumberland economy have been fought tooth and nail by local Tories and it’s a bit rich for them to pretend to be interested in the local economy. The Tories and Liberals opposed our investment in the new line, free parking schemes and the affordable housing programme which will see over 2000 new homes built across the county and refused to back the budget. We’ll continue to work hard to give communities a chance to succeed against the backdrop of huge ConDem cuts in council spending. Residents will notice the Tory silence on budget cuts from their government but they also need to know that the Tories are opposing sensible investment from Labour in the council chamber for their own narrow party political advantage”. 

“In public, local Tories led by their PPC say they’re in favour of policies like the Living Wage and the capital investments across North Northumberland such as broadband roll out yet they vote against them in the council chamber

CONSERVATIVES SLAMMED FOR ‘HYPOCRISY’ OVER BUDGET SNUB

“They say they support policies like the Living Wage yet vote against them in the budget” – Grant Davey, Leader of Council and Labour group

Northumberland’s Conservatives have come under fire after their decision to vote against last week’s Budget at Northumberland County Council (25 Feb 2015) which would have seen £350m of capital schemes such as the Duchess of Alnwick High School refurbishment and the Crag End landslip works scrapped if the local Conservatives had been successful in their attempt to derail the 2 year budget.

Now Labour’s PPC for North Northumberland Scott Dickinson has aimed a salvo at his Conservative counterpart and accused her of ‘breath taking hypocrisy’ as it emerged that Conservative attempts to wreck Labour’s budget would have meant that plans to implement the so called ‘Living Wage’ in October would have been scuppered. He also accused the Tories of ‘putting politics before people’, pointing to the recent independent Peer Review findings which said opposition councillors were deliberately damaging the reputation of the council.

Seventeen Conservative Councillors voted against the budget and had their attempt to sabotage the budget been successful, North Northumberland lose out on dozens of building projects such as Crag End Landslip investment program, schools capital investment programme for Alnwick partnership, Hadston/Druridge Bay leisure facility, Alnwick Lionheart fire station and depot renewal programme, Housing Investment Programme (HfN), Rural Broadband further rollout, new street lighting program, Affordable Homes Programme, retention of libraries service programme, repair of leisure facilities, solar PV for schools, biomass for schools programme and major parks enhancement programme for Alnwick and Berwick.

Scott Dickinson Labour’s PPC for North Northumberland said

“In public, local Tories led by their PPC say they’re in favour of policies like the Living Wage and the capital investments across North Northumberland such as broadband roll out yet they vote against them in the council chamber. Seventeen Tories tried to derail investment in schemes like the Crag End landslip yet their PPC tried to take credit for the Labour decision to commit extra funds. That’s called rank hypocrisy and residents won’t forget local Tories putting ‘politics before people’ come May”.

End

Notes for Editors – schemes that would have been scrapped if Tory budget opposition had succeeded

1.     Free Car parking in Country Parks.

2.     Crag End Landslip investment program.

3.     Schools capital Investment program for Alnwick partnership.

4.     Hadston/Druridge Bay Leisure Facility.

5.     Alnwick Lionheart fire station and depot renewal program.

6.     Housing Investment Program (HfN).

7.     Rural Broadband further rollout.

8.     New street lighting program.

9.     Affordable Homes Program.

10.                        Early Years Investment Program.

11.                        Care for the elderly.

12.                        Retention of Libraries Service Program.

13.                        Repair of Leisure Facilities.

14.                        Solar PV for schools.

15.                        Biomass for schools program.

16.                        Major parks enhancement program, Alnwick and Berwick.

17.                        Living Wage from Oct 2015