Spelthorne is the 16th Tory Council to propose tax rise

What is about the Conservative Associations in Surrey that they produce such financially incontinent councillors? At least that is the behaviour of the councillors when it comes to spending other peoples money. The latest bad news is that Conservative-run Spelthorne Borough Council is planning to increase the Council Tax by 2.9%. That means they will only about £30,000 more this year than if they had frozen and got an extra £169,345 in Government grant.

Looking at their spending we can see that the council spends £1.7 million on ICT - exceptionally high for a council of that size amounting to 16.8% of their procurement spending. They spend the same on horticulture - again an unusually large sum. There is also £140,000 on couriers, £170,000 on catering, £106,000 on advertising, £144,000 on agency staff, £53,000 sending staff on training conferences, £50,000 on membership subscriptions, £116,000 on management consultants.

Does anyone genuinely believe that a Council Tax increase was unavoidable? That find £30,000 of savings for he coming year was an impossible challenge? Or was this a ruse to be able to stagger Council Tax rises to avoid a referendum.