At the Council meeting on 23 February, the Conservative council administration confirmed that they will be increasing council tax by nearly 5% this year and 12% over three years, breaking an election promise to freeze council tax.
Leader of the council, Councillor Paul Osborn, later said: “Deciding where to invest and where to make savings is very challenging. We’ve taken the tough decisions that allow us to invest in your priorities and at the same time make sure the council lives within its means”.
The expectation was to make the financial decisions to deal with the cost of living crisis effecting Harrow with a local budget that could have made a difference to the lives of all those that have suffered under 13 years of austerity, the Covid-19 pandemic and a decline in real wages.
The Labour opposition points out that “Harrow Conservatives vote through ‘Dangerous’ Budget Cuts to Social Care (£7,452,000), whilst Breaking Election Promises on Council Tax”.
“Harrow Conservative Councillors have dealt a huge slap in the face to Harrow residents by breaking a key election pledge to freeze council tax, only to now increase the financial burden by 12% when the Borough is facing a cost-of-living crisis” the leader of the Labour group, Councillor David Perry said.
“I am deeply concerned that these savage cuts to vital support for our most at risk vulnerable adults and children in Harrow will badly impact service users and their families. The Harrow Conservatives have decided to invest nearly £250k in more PR, Spin Doctors and political messaging at the Council whilst at the same time cutting huge numbers of social care workers demonstrates they have the wrong priorities at the wrong time” Cllr Perry said.
Leader of the council, Councillor Paul Osborn, later said: “Deciding where to invest and where to make savings is very challenging. We’ve taken the tough decisions that allow us to invest in your priorities and at the same time make sure the council lives within its means”.The expectation was to make the financial decisions to deal with the cost of living crisis effecting Harrow with a local budget that could have made a difference to the lives of all those that have suffered under 13 years of austerity, the Covid-19 pandemic and a decline in real wages.
The Labour opposition points out that “Harrow Conservatives vote through ‘Dangerous’ Budget Cuts to Social Care (£7,452,000), whilst Breaking Election Promises on Council Tax”.
“Harrow Conservative Councillors have dealt a huge slap in the face to Harrow residents by breaking a key election pledge to freeze council tax, only to now increase the financial burden by 12% when the Borough is facing a cost-of-living crisis” the leader of the Labour group, Councillor David Perry said.
“I am deeply concerned that these savage cuts to vital support for our most at risk vulnerable adults and children in Harrow will badly impact service users and their families. The Harrow Conservatives have decided to invest nearly £250k in more PR, Spin Doctors and political messaging at the Council whilst at the same time cutting huge numbers of social care workers demonstrates they have the wrong priorities at the wrong time” Cllr Perry said.
Harrow Monitoring Group 
Trust them , after all they are poncing around in the true colours as politicians while the cost of living goes up in flames for the poor , dispossed & downtrodden!
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