by The Editor | Mar 4, 2013 | Sutton Conservatives |
Sutton Conservatives call upon LibDems to allow Council Tax to be paid over 12 months.
Today the Conservative group on Sutton council are calling for households to be allowed as a matter of course to pay their council tax over 12 months this forthcoming year instead of the usual 10.
Changes bought in by last years localism act mean that any household wishing to pay their council tax over 12 months instead of 10 must be allowed by the local authority.
It has however come to the Conservative groups attention that the Lib Dem administration will send out demands still in the 10 monthly payment format leaving individuals to make individual requests to change their payment terms.
At the full council meeting of the 4th March the Conservatives are putting forward an amendment calling on the council to issue the demands in a 12 monthly payment format rather than the 10 proposed.
Councillor Tim Crowley Conservative finance spokesman commented;
“This year when there will be massive changes to the benefit system and also when hard pressed families are still feeling the pinch we feel it is incumbent on the council to go that extra mile to aid household budgets by letting them spread the cost of one of the largest household expenditure items over 12 months instead of 10. As the council has positive cash balances forecast for the next 12 months why do they need to get residents money in just to sit in the councils coffers?”
At the time of this press release the council are still planning to issue demands based on the old format.
March 4th 17.00
by The Editor | Feb 28, 2013 | Sutton Conservatives |
Paul Scully writes on EU Referendum
Paul Scully, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate writes in this week’s Sutton Guardian on an EU Referendum. He writes:
“Eight out of ten people in the UK want to have their say in the UK’s future relationship with the EU. We now have the first real commitment in forty years to have an in/out referendum which should not be dismissed (Letters 14th February).
Unlike the Prime Minister my default position is to leave the EU unless I can be persuaded that renegotiated terms are of significant benefit to this country. Such a renegotiation will undoubtedly be tough but not impossible. Few believed that David Cameron would lead the way in securing the first budget cut in the history of the EU; but he did.
Pragmatists on both sides of the European debate will understand why such a referendum has to be held after the next election. We have a coalition government. The Liberal Democrat shift from wanting a referendum in 2010 to rejecting the idea now makes the necessary legislation impossible to get through Parliament.
UKIP has chimed with a section of the public as a pressure group but as a party, risks pushing the country further away from its stated aims by helping to usher in a return to government by the people who negotiated the Lisbon Treaty, lost control of our immigration system and ran up a huge bill for our children to pay back in decades to come.
I know that when the referendum comes, the answer will impact on this country for at least the next 40 years. With polls swinging either side of the 50/50 mark as to whether to leave or remain, we need to make sure that the public has a clear understanding of the options and we simply have to get that answer right.”
by The Editor | Feb 28, 2013 | Sutton Conservatives |
Celebrating Success Awards 2013
The Celebrating Success Awards 2013 took place on Tuesday evening at the Holiday Inn, Sutton. This ceremony recognises the achievements and progress that young people in care and those who have left, have made over the past year. It was really good to see so many youngsters receive their certificates and to hear about some of their achievements.
Many were there with their parents or carers. Conservative Councillors Moira Butt, Pam Picknett and Jonathan Pritchard also attended the event. The certificates were presented by The Mayor of Sutton. After the presentation there was a tasty buffet laid on by the Holiday Inn, music and dancing and an opportunity to talk with some of the youngsters about their progress.
Well done all involved in making this an interesting and happy evening – a good time was had by all.
by The Editor | Feb 22, 2013 | Sutton Conservatives |
Sutton Council bosses cost £8,750.00
Figures from pressure group the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) place the bill saddled to the local council tax payer for 120 Sutton Council chiefs on £50,000+ at £8.75million, writes the Sutton Guardian newspaper. This eye-watering sum is the equivalent of over £72,000 each.
The cost uncovered by the TPA does not come as a surprise to me having previously worked at Sutton Council.
For as long as I can remember, Sutton Conservative councillors have called upon the Council’s leadership to live according to its means, without enormously expensive pet projects like the loss-making £9million Sutton Life Centre and the bungled multi-million pound ‘revamp’ of Sutton High Street.
Sutton Council’s Liberal Democrat deputy bigwig, Councillor Colin Hall, has controversially said that the Council has been cutting costs over the last three years…but not enough it would seem, according to the TPA.
What about the pet projects Councillor Hall? And the rightly bottled £12million face-lift for the Civic Offices?
As a former employee of the Council, I saw first-hand how casual the political leadership was with public cash and how it failed to address the route causes of waste. It’s why I
resigned. Not content to let them simply carry on wasting our money, I will continue to fight along with Tony Shields and Heather Howell for a better deal for Sutton South council tax payers and also for the rest of the Borough.
Jason Hughes
by The Editor | Feb 17, 2013 | Sutton Conservatives |
Cllr Tony Shields, Campaigner Jason Hughes and PPC Paul Scully out canvassing
Yesterday, Cllr Tony Shields, myself and the Conservative team were out and about with Paul Scully, our parliamentary candidate for Sutton and Cheam.
Residents told Paul and team what they thought on local and national issues effecting them and
their families.
It’s always good to speak with local people and the
feedback was positive. Topics of interest ranged from local bin collection services, to concerns about immigration, the threat to St. Helier A&E and maternity services, local crime and antisocial behaviour and Britain’s relationship with the European Union.
One resident told us: “We haven’t seen the Liberal Democrat MP or his party round here in a long time. They seem to gone into hiding for some reason!”
For more information on Paul Scully and what he can do for Sutton South residents, representing their interests in Parliament, click here.
Jason Hughes
