Letter: A Council Tax Referendum Next Year Would Cost More Money But Perhaps Less Votes

Published on: 8 Mar, 2017
Updated on: 8 Mar, 2017

From Fiona White

Lib Dem county councillor for Guildford West

I am very concerned about the budget process at Surrey. The council leader has said time and again how much he believes in openness and transparency in politics. What happened over the budget debate is anything but open and transparent.

I find it even more worrying that in the meeting that was recorded and leaked to the BBC, he was prepared to tell his group that if they didn’t get the deal he wanted, he could call for a council tax referendum next spring. There will not be Surrey-wide council elections then, so the cost of a referendum would be even greater than it would have been this year.

One could be cynical and say that there would also be less risk of the Tories losing council seats as a consequence.

Deals based on discussions with someone who is in his car outside No 10 Downing Street is not the way we should be conducting budget negotiations. The people of Surrey deserve more respect than that.