Tories are the problem, not the solution

I have seen a leaflet from Slough Tories blaming Slough’s Labour Council for many of the problems facing the town’s residents and offering to do a better job on issues including the five per cent rise in council tax, threats to green spaces, congestion and rushed schemes such as the A4 bus lane.

These are, of course, all areas of valid concern.

However, currently the Tories are manifestly part of the problem on many issues, not the solution.

Consider the following points.

First, all councils across the country have faced problems with the Tory Government underfunding vital services such as police and social care, thereby forcing councils to either cut services or increase council tax.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s council is run so badly by the Tories that their residents are facing both a 5 per cent rise in Council Tax, and cuts in ser vices.

The Tory Government knew it was forcing up council tax across the country, which makes its decision to give NHS staff only a 1 per cent pay rise, and other essential workers zero, particularly unfair.

So, the 5 per cent council tax rise is not all down to the undoubted wasteful spending by Slough’s Labour Council, for example on repeated and unwanted traffic schemes across the town.

Second, the Tory Government told Slough Council it had to allow the building of almost 1,000 new homes every year from 2016 to 2036.

That many new homes could not all be built on brownfield, former industrial sites or in town centre locations.

There is a long history of Slough Labour Party making and advocating decisions about planning and boundaries that have not been in the long-term interests of residents, but the Tory policies made the situation worse.

Third, and linked to the previous point, the Tories set such a high target for new building in Slough that it was likely to increase congestion.

The Labour Council have made planning decisions, for example in Chalvey, that seem to have ignored the likely consequential increases in congestion, but the Tory house-building demands can only make things worse.

Finally, it might seem that the entire blame for the rushed A4 bus lanes should be laid at Labour’s door.

Indeed, it was a dubious decision taken without proper consultation and, as Robert Plimmer highlighted (Viewpoint, October 9), one that seemed to ignore the existing bus lanes that run through the Trading Estate parallel to the A4.

However, in fact, even here part of the blame lies with the Tories.

The A4 bus lanes were funded through a Tory Government scheme with, apparently, short turn-around times.

This is the opposite of what is needed to build a consensus around measures to improve air quality.

Thus far, it seems likely the A4 bus lanes will result in more, not less, congestion and pollution overall.

It’s time for new blood on Slough

Borough Council that will promote longterm, consultative and cooperative approaches to tackling Slough’s problems, and embracing new opportunities.

SUKH DHILLON Upton Liberal Democrats