Conservative budget - missed opportunity

Speech by Cllr Zoe Patrick delivered to County Council on Tue 10th Feb 2009

Well, we have been here all day after spending hours and hours individually discussing budgets and that's not to mention the hours all of us have spent on our own budget proposals. But we are now nearing the end and we now know, as I said earlier, exactly what budget we will see agreed on today. But this is an empty budget which lacks inspiration. Nothing much above the bare minimum and not offering just that little bit more help that for the same money could have been spent on some key service areas.

This administration is obsessed with running everything from the centre, building up the corporate core to the expense of everything else. Yes, there are challenges to be faced, but to waste taypayers money on 'marketing' everything so it is all glossy and shiny in these difficult times, is not to be welcomed.

I won't spend any more time speaking on this budget, everything that needs to be said has already been said, and there are more speakers to follow me besides.

All I can say is that this is a missed opportunity for Oxfordshire residents who could have had a better deal than this one on the table.