Cllr Pauline Jorgensen said, “This independent report, by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, puts into perspective all that the Liberal Democrat leadership has been saying about Wokingham Borough’s finances.
“The report demonstrates that, if you include all sources of funding e.g. council tax and grants, last year Wokingham Borough had more money to spend per head than our neighbours including Slough, Reading, Bracknell, and Windsor and Maidenhead.
“Despite this the Liberal Democrats have offered poor value for money by increasing charges and cutting resident’s services.
“This year the Conservative Government increased the Council’s grant by £1.8 million, an increase of 7%, just above the current rate of inflation, recognising the extra pressure from inflation caused by the war in Ukraine. Central Government has also provided funding to help people with the cost of living through Household Support Fund and for free school meals during the holidays to help families.
“The Conservative Group has repeatedly called on the Liberal Democrats to stop making the wrong choices. The cuts to front line services that Liberal Democrats are imposing on residents, including the proposed cuts to public litter bins, are caused by their poor management, lack of experience and unsound decision making.
“We all know that there is no prospect that a Labour or Liberal Democrat Government would give more money to relatively affluent areas like Wokingham. The Liberal Democrats need to get on and make back-office efficiencies, such as we suggested in our alternative Budget in February so that they can spend money on residents’ priorities – they need to stop punishing business and individuals with excessive parking increases and reverse their cuts to universal waste services.”
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is the UK’s leading independent economics research institute. Read the report below
