UNBELIEVABLE.

I can't believe what I've just read in this weeks Salford Advertiser in Cllr.Owen's columns. The nerve of the man, blaming everybody except his own party,who were responsible for the ameteur shambolic performance during the budget debate at last weeks council.

It was obvious he and his party didn't understand the council protocol, because we had to adjourn so officers could help them with their ammendment.

It's no wonder his group tried to oust him as their leader last time, he's become a bit of an embarresment to them, particularly when he hangs on to the coat tails of the Tories. The Lib Dems really have become the rump of the Tory Party in Salford.

Lib Dem budget fiasco rumbles on.

Salford’s Lib Dems have shot themselves in the foot again after it emerged that their rival budget plans means they would abandon key election promises.They proposed to axe £1 million from the Council’s planning and highways budget. An official assessment of the plans warned:· The highways maintenance budget would be ‘seriously compromised’· The efforts to curb climate change would be sabotaged· Major job-providing regeneration initiatives would be slowed· Cuts would be made in adapting homes for the disabledCouncillor Derek Antrobus, the council’s planning spokesman, said: “The Lib Dems budget can only be implemented by undermining key priorities for the community. They would inevitably involve compulsory redundancies.“On all of these services the Lib Dems say we don’t do enough. But when it comes to making hard decisions, they are the services they attack.“I have been involved in a lengthy e-mail exchange with Cllr Joe O’Neill who is the Lib Dem budget spokesman. He simply refuses to explain or justify his £1 million cuts.”

BUDGET BUNGLE

Salford council was forced to adjourn its Budget debate, after Liberal Democrats needed advice on what their alternative proposals meant.Salford City Council leader Cllr John Merry described the Lib Dem budget bungle as 'a shambles'.Lib Dem finance spokesperson Cllr Joe O'Neill spoke in the debate to urge his alternative proposals to the Council meeting. But when it came to the vote, he could notsay what the wording of his amendment wassay what impact it would have on the council taxsay how £2 million savings would be madeCouncil deputy leader Cllr David Lancaster said: "This is a discourtesy to the council. How can we vote on something that we don't know about?"He moved an adjournment so council finance officers could meet with Lib Dems to explain to them what their budget meant. After a 15-minute break the Lib Dems proposed a 0.56p cut in the weekly bill.The ruling Labour group's budget was overwhelmingly approved. It keeps the Council Tax rise down to 3% for council services.Finance spokesman Cllr Bill Hinds said: "I am confident that we will have one of the lowest tax increases in the country, achieved without compulsory redundancies or service cuts".

Bus Fares

Following on from my last entry it has been brought to my attention that Salford Tory Councillor Ian Macdonald voted in favour of the rise. Shame on him.

The young people of Salford have been let down.

SNUBBED- BUS FARE CUT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Apologies for not keeping this page updated, but felt I had to add this story. Appalled at Tories and Lib Dems uniting to support a 10p rise in bus fares for young people in Greater Manchester.

It seems that across Greater Manchester the Tories and Lib Dem parties are getting in bed together. Indeed the Lib Dem Party in Salford has become the rump of the Tory party and seem to jump whenever the Tories tell them to!