An emotive balancing act

Published: 13 January, 2011

• I READ Richard Osley’s article (Labour urged to rethink council tax freeze by own party, January 6) with genuine interest. 

As a party and Labour administration in Camden we have pledged to freeze council tax and I would oppose breaking that promise made to the electorate back in May last year. 

However these are not ordinary times. 

The Tory-led government is hitting Camden with an unprecedented cut in revenue equating to some £85million. 

Also residents are now saddled with a Tory VAT increase of almost £400. 

While increasing council tax on top of all this would not be right, I do believe that comparatively VAT discriminates against the working poor and vulnerable.

It is only against this backdrop that I am supporting a proposal initiated by some of my colleagues to hold a referendum, thereby giving the Camden electorate a choice on raising council tax to avoid cuts to some front-line services most valued by so many of our residents.

For the cost of two packs of crisps per week per taxpayer, for instance, we could avoid most of the cuts proposed to front-line services in adult care. Or for the cost of a can of beer we could raise enough council tax to avoid most of the proposed cuts to the play service.

I would like to make it clear, though, that I am vehemently against raising taxes to pay for backroom bureaucracy. 

The council has already achieved some £45million of efficiency savings which must be commended. 

But there is no more waste left to cut and we need to find at least another £40million, and if we don’t think laterally, front-line services will have to be cut.

Council tax, front-line services, whatever happens, this difficult balancing act is going to be very emotive. 

There will be plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks for us to engage with residents and listen to their views. 

I invite Kentish Town residents to contact me for more discussion on this, or follow me at www.mericapak. wordpress.com 

We need to try to approach this enormous challenge with cool heads and consider all options to try to get the right outcome for residents who trusted us with their vote.

CLLR MERIC APAK
Labour, Kentish Town ward