Liberal Democrats Showed Council How They Could Have Saved Two Ealing Day Centres

Last night Ealing set its Council Tax. What might be reported will be the news that using government money Ealing Council is to again freeze the level of Council Tax for this coming year.

What the Labour party won't like being reminded of, is that they voted (as well as the Conservative party in Ealing) to shut two vital day centres - the Learning Curve and at Stirling Road.

The Liberal Democrat group proudly found money so we could save these two day centres as well as investing over £1 million pounds extra into our pavements and roads.

Stirling Road Day Centre

The other main plank of our amendment was that we earmarked monies to improve recycling rates, from the fines we eagerly anticipate from the worse than poor performance of Enterprise, the Council's rubbish and waste contractor.

When the voting took place we saw both the Conservative and Labour parties vote against our proposals to save the two day centres that provide so much good help to many vulnerable and disabled users. Shame on them. Hang your heads in shame.

This was the third year in a rows where the Liberal Democrat group put forward an official opposition budgetary motion. The Conservatives did not want, it seems, to spend the time doing this. It was commented that the Liberal Democrat group are the EFFECTIVE opposition to Labour. Too true!

The Liberal Democrat amendment was put forward by Councillor Andrew Steed and then I seconded the amendment. Later in the debate Councillor Jon Ball spoke about a constituent in Ealing Common who had fallen and injured herself twice due to the poor quality of pavements.

Learning Curve

So if you want to protect Day Centres clearly people need to vote Liberal Democrat. If you want to cause more problems for the many users of day centres then Labour is your party. It is about priorities. Ealing Council should protect our most vulnerable.

The American politician Bob Riley said: “In a time of tight budgets, difficult choices have to be made. We must make sure our very limited resources are spent on priorities.”

Councillor Leader, Julian Bell, in a Cabinet meeting about a month ago said [avoiding the closure of the two day centres] was “Nearly impossible”. The Liberal Democrats have shown it is more than possible.

The Liberal Democrat group state clearly that Labour-run Ealing Council needs to get their priorities right.