Conservative-Led Surrey County Council Plans 15% Council Tax Hike

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-38678629

"A Conservative-run council wants to raise its tax by 15% in the next financial year, blaming government cuts and increased demand for social care"

But I thought Tory Councils were supposed to be cheaper than non-Tory ones, or have I got that wrong somehow ?

[dannyk13]

Mikey
//Zacs....does Surrey Council really think that local people are going to vote for, and put up with a 15% rise?//
I saw on the news last night several Surrey citizens interviewed and the majority said that they would vote in favour of the 15% rise.

[Zacs-Master]

Mikey, you're delusional. You've changed the direction of the thread and are now trying to claim some sort of victory. Let's get back to your OP:
You postulated that Conservative councils were cheaper than Labour ones, citing Surrey as a (bad) example. I gave you all the facts and figures to enable you to work out whether your postulation was correct. Now, what is the result?

[mikey4444]

Danny....yes I saw the same report, but what about the poorer residents of leafy Surrey ? They are not all stock-brokers, although Guildford would be the best place to find them I suppose.

But the central dichotomy remains......a 15% rise, to pay for budget cuts to Social Care budgets seems a very circular argument indeed. If the money is needed for Social Care, and nobody is denying that it IS needed, then why make the cuts in the first place ? The parlous state of Social Care is a major problem that is present in the NHS...bed blocking.

This must be very embarrassing for Mrs Maybe......Surrey isn't some Council oop north, with common accents and where the good footie clubs are is it ?

[mushroom25]

//with common accents and where the good footie clubs are is it ? //

without wishing to derail your thread Mikey, that would be fighting talk if posted in the "sports" section - have you never heard of Antonio Conte or Arsene Wenger?

[mikey4444]

Zacs....but if Surrey are forced to put this huge 15% hike into operation, to pay for Social Care budget shortfalls, they won't be very cheap any longer will they ?

Headlines....."Vote Tory and get a huge rise on your C.Tax, or huge cuts to your Social Care budget" Cameron didn't warn the citizens of Surrey that thiis woulld happen in May 2015 did he ?

[mikey4444]

Mush....I was paraphrasing Spitting Image, at its height.

[Peter Pedant]

erm the councillors are all over 60

and want decent social care paid for by others for themselves and not for their parents

simples and not so different

[Zacs-Master]

Mikey, you're completely missing the point. The 15% 'hike' as you put it only brings Surrey up to (or slightly below) the national average. Maybe they've realise that thier bargain basement CT was resulting in below standard social care - if so, good for them.

Please tell me your 'common accents' was TIC.

[mikey4444]

Zacs....yes of course it was TIC.....read my reply above to mush.

My point is that did the citizens of Surrey expect their favourite Party to impose these cuts/tax rises ?

[Zacs-Master]

I'm sorry but that is not your point. Your point was that you thought Tory councils were cheaper than Labour ones. Is that the case?

[dannyk13]

//
My point is that did the citizens of Surrey expect their favourite Party to impose these cuts/tax rises ?//
Imposition is the wrong word as the citizens are being asked to vote on the matter.

[naomi24]

Mikey, I think you’re on a loser here. Perhaps best to bow out gracefully.

And ‘Mrs Maybe’? Only recently someone else was admonished here for failing to call Nicola Sturgeon by her correct name, so wochit!!

[ladybirder]

By the time all the other councils in the UK have had their annual rise in April, then Surrey will still be cheaper than average, even with a 15% rise.

[naomi24]

The failure of Labour supporters to recognise that everything must be paid for appears inherent. They want it all, but don’t want to pay for it.

[anotheoldgit]

My wife and I have worked all our lives and paid all our taxes, we also own our house, and pay the full Council Tax.

Why should we pay even more council tax, when if either of us ends up in a home, we will also have to sell our home to pay for our keep, when others who have never provided for themselves live their lives out in a home, without spending a penny?

[Zacs-Master]

That's a completely different scenario AOG (one which i have some sympathy with), why don't you pose it as a separate question?