DERISORY comments from the Conservatives about a Lib-Lab pact over the delivery of the town's Budget can only sadly reinforce the "yah-hoo" of politics and they are not correct.

Since last June's elections Labour has taken the consistent stance of constructive opposition. We supported plans where there were obvious benefits to the town while scrutinising and opposing others where necessary. We have displayed a mature approach to the running of the Council, despite being told initially by the Lib Dems that their preferred option would be to work with the Tories.

So to with the Budget. We accept that a Lib Dem Budget has to be set in order to run the town. Our children need teaching, senior citizens and the vulnerable need support and refuse needs collecting to name but a few services. We will not play politics with peoples' lives.

However we did express dissatisfaction that the Lib Dems were raising council tax above inflation. Labour's previous rise was only 3.5 per cent compared to this year's 4.4 per cent, despite receiving additional Government money to reduce the council tax and an £800K dividend from Manchester Airport owned by all the people of Greater Manchester. We also urged the Lib Dems not to raise car parking by nine per cent in one year, not to spend £500K in one year on recycling promotion but to do this incrementally and more effectively, not to cut education staff who would support schools to improve behaviour and attendance and questioned the honouring of their election pledge to cut the £10 bulky waste charge for which they criticised us so heavily.

All this fell on deaf ears as the Lib Dems pressed ahead. However Labour's constructive plans to spend a one-off £200K improving youth facilities and a one-off £300K on improving community safety initiatives were accepted as sensible ideas and agreed.

The Lib Dems have been extremely fortunate this year. Labour left a council in a healthy financial state with an "excellent status" tag. They had £6.2m in balances, nearly £10m with the school's reserves. In addition Government allowed £20m rising next year to £29m for special projects such as Sure Start. What a pity the Lib Dem's budget could not have kept the council tax down to inflation. This is not unexpected.

Let us not forget that this is the party that nationally advocated 1p rise on income tax and intends to introduce a local income tax which will penalise working families disproportionately.

Cllr Linda Thomas

Deputy Leader of the Labour Group