A
fair deal for Kingston - our schools, elderly and
taxpayers.
That was our message this month when I led a
delegation to the Local Government Minister,
Hilary Armstrong, to argue Kingston's case.
Over the next two months, council decisions will
determine next year's council tax. These
decisions will affect local schools and funds for
services to our most frail elderly citizens.
But the first part of this process is a decision
by Ministers - on Kingston's grant from central
government. That grant is crucial as it forms the
lion share of the budget - far more than council
tax proceeds.
So what's the news? Good and bad. The good news
is Kingston's grant has risen faster than in
recent years. The bad news is that Ministers are
trying to claw some of this back.
The sticking point is over the extra costs
Kingston pays. These arise because we are both a
high cost area and have a growing population.
Part of Kingston's grant supposedly compensates
for such things. But Ministers have proposed a
"ceiling" on this compensation.
Kingston could end up losing nearly £750,000.
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Now
I've been fighting this particular battle for
Kingston for some time.
Late last year, there was a different proposal
costing Kingston even more - around £1.1
million. So during a Commons' Treasury Committee
meeting I tackled Gordon Brown about this.
Several days later when the provisional grant was
announced, this cut had been reduced.
But an unfair cut is still there. So that's why I
led the cross-party delegation to Whitehall to
press Kingston's case again.
The outcome will be known next month. The
Minister certainly listened, but we want her to
act. Kingston had a wretched deal from the last
Government and over the last few years.
Now we want a fair deal.
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