At the end of February Stockport residents will learn how far above inflation the Liberal Democrats will raise their Council Tax. It’s likely to be high, an increase much above 4% would be double inflation at a time when we are all beginning to take more careful account of the pounds and pennies in our pocket. What annoys me so much, is the waste of taxpayers money so prevalent in Liberal Democrat Stockport. Did you know that the Liberal Democrats have allocated a budget of around £1.2 million to “Communications” (perhaps more accurately described as the self-publicity and Liberal Democrat propaganda sheets budget)?

On Monday last week, the Four Heatons Area Committee held a Scrutiny Review on provision of facilities for young people in our area. The meeting was very well attended by representatives of Priestnall School, St Annes School and a number of local Youth Groups. We all enjoyed a lively discussion and local young people raised some excellent points. For example, the Sea Scouts at the meeting reported that they had never been told that kayaks and canoes were available to them on the River Mersey close to where they meet.

Young People are very often criticised for “hanging around street corners”, but what the young people I met last week had to say on this was worth listening to. They said that they do not have anywhere else to go. As a result of the Liberal Democrat’s huge cuts to the Youth Budget a couple of years ago, the provision of accessible and affordable places to go and things to do is totally inadequate. And, for those resources that escaped Lib Dem cuts, our Young People report that they weren’t kept informed of what is available.

Our young people know what they want, if you take the time to ask and listen. Their wish list last week contained a broad and innovative variety of activities; exchanges with other Youth Clubs, Sports, visits to places of interest, cultural cooking and music lessons.

Teenagers wanted to open up and use the Youth Centres and facilities that are now so often closed most of the time. Young People want to socialise and fill their leisure time productively and would not have to stand on street corners to meet friends if the Liberal Democrat Council would provide adequate and affordable facilities and engaging activities.

Despite the all too evident frustrations among our young people at the underprovision and at the way their needs seem to be ignored, it was a great meeting. The Liberal Democrats could find the money easily enough if they learnt to put what is really important first (clue: people) and sacrifice just some of their outrageous publicity, advertising and propaganda budget to youth services. Stockport’s Conservatives know that it’s people that are important, not publicity- when will our expensive Liberal Democrat Councillors wake up to this?

Cllr Les Jones,
Heatons North
Conservative Group Leader

This aticle, by Cllr Les Jones, was first published in the Stockport Express 06/01/2008.