Why vote Conservative on 5th May 2011

As a natural Conservative I have to ask that question. At Huntingdonshire District Council the Conservatives have a failing budget which won't last the course. For many years the Conservatives have propped up this budget why spending the limited reserves. HDC was therefore a low council tax/high spending authority. With the fast diminishing reserves running out the Conservatives are ramping up borrowing which will cut further into the budget meaning more cuts. Sound more like Labour than a Conservative run Council.

Whilst the Conservatives have boasted about the high quality services provided, this is about to end. The Council needs to move quickly to a low council tax/low spending authority. But they haven't. With £6.6 million of cuts pencilled in and a further £2 million of cuts still needing to be found.

Not all this is the Conservative fault. Back in 2004 the Conservatives plan was for a £10 a year rise for 4 years followed by a 104% rise at the end of this period. That was back in 2004. The Labour Government stopped this by capping HDC. This has meant the option to increase Council Tax to get out of this situation was stopped.

Instead of making the cuts necessary to balance the budget the Conservatives decided to carry on regardless. This has meant even deeper cuts. The inability to raise council tax by 134% because of capping didn't stop the Conservatives boasting about keeping Council Tax low even though this was the Council would be capped by the Labour Government.

The Coalition hasn't helped, but this was expected as whatever Government was returned would have to cut the amount paid to Councils in Government Grants.

In the end the HDC Conservatives deserve a bloody nose not for the cuts, but because they have been unable to do the job properly.

The Town Council Conservatives have much to have a go at the Liberal Democrats over their 4 year rule at St Neots Town Council. But they haven't. The Conservatives want a positive message but say really little on where they want to take St Neots.

I can find in neither campaign any good reason to vote Conservative and therefore I won't.