Liberals Accuse Ruling Conservatives Over Budget

THE leading Tory group at the district council has rejected the Liberal Democrat’s alternative budget, which the Lib Dems say which would have: “Protected and improved services and been fair to all residents.”

David Turner, the leader of South Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, presented an alternative budget at the full SODC Council meeting on February 23, which he claimed would have protected and improved services and cut out waste, whilst producing a zero increase in Council Tax.

In a statement today, David Turner said: “Unlike the ruling Tory group budget the Liberal Democrat Budget Group would have maintained fairness by offering bus tokens to the over sixties as an alternative to a bus pass. Despite a Government increase in grant of a massive 13%, the Tory budget removed this choice for residents between sixty and seventy, and in effect turned residents in villages without public transport into second class citizens compared with people from areas with public transport. The tokens benefit people living in villages without public transport as they can be used for taxis. In addition many people who find it physically difficult to get on buses prefer the token system. The Tory budget in effect increased the Council Tax of a couple in their sixties who previously chose to have bus tokens by