"Stop making excuses", Lib Dems tell Tories

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 25th Jan 2010

Lib Dem councillors have today attacked the Conservatives on Wokingham Borough Council for failing residents. Lib Dem Group Leader Prue Bray said: "Services have been cut, school buildings are crumbling, the roads are full of pot holes, council tenants are suffering and Children's Services has been judged among the worst in the country. The council is going backwards in terms of performance. But all we hear from the Conservatives is that it's the government's fault for not giving Wokingham enough money. It is time the Conservative leadership stopped blaming other people and admitted that they are the ones at fault."

Evidence put together by the Liberal Democrats shows that while Wokingham Borough Council is in the bottom 5 Unitary Authorities for Government funding, it is the only one of the bottom 5 not to have been rated as "performing well". The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is the second worst funded authority, and they have performed far better than Wokingham in nearly all areas, including Children's Services. Not only that, but their council tax is lower than Wokingham's.

Cllr Bray added, "Other authorities have been able to run services well with little money, including our next door neighbour - so what has gone wrong in Wokingham? The obvious answer is: incompetence on the part of the Conservatives who are in charge.

"People are fed up with hearing Conservative councillors telling then how wonderfully they are running the council. Evidence to the contrary is all around us. It is time for the Conservatives to take responsibility for their failings."