Labour leader commended for his acceptance of economic realities
Tory-run Peterborough Council condemned for planned council tax hike
Today the TaxPayers’ Alliance announces 2012’s first recipients of its monthly awards to celebrate those in power who have sought to save – and waste – taxpayers’ money.
The man, woman or organisation to be congratulated for saving public money or acting in the interests of the hard-pressed taxpayer is named the TPA’s “Pin-Up of the Month”, whilst whoever is found to have shown the greatest disregard for taxpayers’ cash is shamed as the TPA’s “Pinhead of the Month”.
January 2012’s Pin-Up of the Month is Ed Miliband MP, the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, whom we commend for coming to terms with the realities of the current economic situation over the last month. Not only has he finally accepted the public sector pay freeze, but he has also stated that he would not be able to reverse the cuts of the Coalition Government if he becomes Prime Minister at the next election.
Mr Miliband told an audience on January 10th: “Whoever is the next Prime Minister will still have a deficit to reduce, and will not have money to spend. Whoever governs after 2015 will have to find more savings.”
And the Labour leader gave his backing to the public sector pay freeze in an interview with Andrew Marr later that week, saying: “When you are faced with the choice between protecting jobs or saying the money should go into pay rises, I think it’s right to protect jobs.”
Meanwhile, the TPA’s Pinhead of the Month for January is Cllr David Seaton, the Conservative councillor who is Cabinet Member for Resources on Peterborough City Council. Cllr Seaton is behind moves at his local authority to reject the Government funding which would allow for a freeze in council tax next year and to instead impose a 2.95% increase in council tax for Peterborough residents. Worse still for Peterborough residents, his plans reportedly factor in a 2.95% increase in council tax every year for the next five years.
Jonathan Isaby, Political Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, commented:
“The TaxPayers’ Alliance has always believed that as well as making examples of those who have shown a disregard for public money, it is important to recognise those who are trying to do the right thing by taxpayers.
“Over the last few weeks, Ed Miliband has made a number of brave but sensible calls in setting out the stark economic realities faced by the country. Whilst no politician has all the answers – and we may disagree with some of the solutions he proposes – Ed Miliband has to be commended for rejecting the approach of opposition for opposition’s sake and instead adopting a mature attitude that encompasses accepting the public sector pay freeze. What’s more, by stating that there would have to be ‘more savings’ under a post-2015 Miliband premiership, he sends an important signal to taxpayers that he now realises that the days of spending taxpayers’ money like it was going out of fashion are well and truly over.”
“Alas the Tory council in Peterborough does not appear to have learnt the lessons of the past and is set on spending more and more taxpayers’ money, year after year. With most local authorities keen and willing to use the Government’s funding to freeze council tax, residents in Peterborough have every right to feel dismayed that their civic leaders are currently intent on taking even more of their hard-earned cash next year.
“Cllr Seaton claims that he has ‘considered all the options available’, but local council tax payers will rightly feel that this is not good enough, particularly when they can point to authorities elsewhere like Hammersmith & Fulham and Windsor & Maidenhead which have demonstrated that, even in these difficult times, it is still possible to actually cut council tax. I hope Cllr Seaton and his colleagues will reconsider their decision before budgets are finalised for next year.”
