30 June (Part 2) - Almost lying
Alongside
this text is an extract from the leaflet (click it to see it all) which councillors Read and Reader were distributing
when I passed through Northumberland Heath on
Sunday. I was on my way to see the Civic Parade; the disrespectful Tory pair was
more interested in spreading misinformation.
The Labour councillors did rather ask for it, the Tories are constantly setting
electoral traps and the opposition has a tendency to fall straight into them.
It is true that the Labour Group, and UKIP, voted against Business Rate Tax
Relief because they were unhappy with the whole of Bexley’s budget. A budget
which has seen off-street car parking charges rise by 50%,
the removal of concessions for Residents’ Parking Permits, additional ways to fine road users, the introduction of a
bin tax, the closure of libraries and the Belvedere Splash Park and the sale of numerous parks and playgrounds.
There was no opportunity to vote for or against individual sections of
Bexley’s Conservative budget. There were dozens of unpopular things in it and
arguably one popular thing. Read and Reader are shamelessly exploiting it.
A similar leaflet on a red background would show a very different and possibly more damaging story.