Lib Dems publish manifesto for a better Lambeth

11.05.08pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 30th Mar 2006

Lambeth Liberal Democrats have launched their manifesto for further improving the Council and getting a better deal for residents.

Leader of the Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Truesdale, said,

"In May 2002 we inherited a failing council from Labour after 31 years of their misrule. Lambeth owed £875 million, and even though the Council Tax had just gone up by 9.3%, Labour managed to leave a £28 million hole in the budget. Since then we've made considerable progress turning Lambeth into a functioning organisation."

The Liberal Democrats have put the Council back into the black, paid off over £130 million of debts and because of these improvements they have set a 0% increase in Lambeth's Council Tax this year.

"It's a clear choice of going forward with the Lib Dems or going backwards under Labour to high taxes, low services and a council that doesn't listen," Councillor Truesdale added.

The Liberal Democrats have five main priorities for making Lambeth a better place:

*Keep the Council Tax below Labour's rate, as on average people pay £150 more in Council Tax in all the Labour run boroughs south of the river.

*Making Lambeth's streets safer by introducing new community safety wardens to help the police patrol local streets and estates.

*Take the profit out of parking by bringing the privatised traffic wardens under Council control.

*Ensure Lambeth is a green and sustainable community by protecting Lambeth's green spaces and pushing up the recycling rate yet further from the 24% it is now.

*Provide more school places by completing the two new secondary schools planned and expanding popular local schools and continuing the improvements in GCSE results with a 6% increase (as against a national increase of 1.3%) in the number of pupils obtaining 5 GCSEs at grades A to C in 2005.

"Vote for the party that listens to local people, not international financial wheeler-dealers!" Councillor Truesdale concluded.

To download the manifesto in full, go to the Download Area (on left-hand-side menu).