Tory Porkies

Another of Dave's "Tory Porkies" rumbled!

What is it with Tories? Why do they seem to have such a hard time talking straight, and just telling the truth? Two weeks ago, Cameron couldn't get his facts straight on where he last ate a pasty. This week, "Dodgy Dave" defended Osborne's tax charge on charities, saying it was justified because some rich people "abuse" the tax relief system by giving to bogus charities. Then yesterday, HMRC - the tax authority - said there were "no relevant case studies" to support that view. They are simply choking charities harder, while giving their millionaire friends tax breaks and tax cuts.

On the doors at the moment, one of the issues that comes up again and again is the NHS. Even people who have previously been Conservative voters are telling me they are supporting Labour this time around as it is the only main party that tried to defend the NHS from the Coalition's NHS Bill that opens the door to widespread privatisation and cuts to care. People are angry because they remember his pledge at the last election not to cut the NHS, or to impose "top-down re-organisation" of the NHS. These election-time promises were "Tory Porkies". 

You can watch the views on these broken promises of a credible and respected (and previously non-partisan) expert on the NHS and health, Professor Robert Winston here: 

We all use and need the NHS, and in Exeter it is a major employer, and therefore a major contributor to our local economy. The NHS is a local issue as much as a national one. Exeter Tories supported the government Bill to cut the NHS, and to impose further upheaval on its services and staff.

But even locally, the Tories can't seem to tell the truth. In their recent leaflets to the public,  Tories claim that Exeter Labour have a "plan for more spending", but "no pledges for savings", and therefore suggest a tax hike is on its way. Let's get some facts on this. 

Scare tactics from Exeter Tories' negative campaign

Tory leader Cllr Henson (left) celebrates
Labour government announcement to
make Labour unitary -
a decision later scrapped by her
own party.

Tory Porky #1: The very first page of our local Labour manifesto sets out how, through a restructuring of the council and its services, Exeter is saving over £1 million. We could have achieved more had we been able to become a unitary authority as planned, but the Coalition government scuppered that. Exeter Tories, who actually backed the bid for unitary authority status, won't tell you that because they don't want to criticise their own party nationally.

Tory Porky #2: Trying to scare Exeter residents about tax increases is completely bogus. Labour-led Exeter Council froze the council tax this year. What the Tories don't tell you is that Exeter has the lowest council tax charge of any District Council in Devon. Here's the list:

Exeter                            Labour           £124.84

East Devon                    Tory                  £155.77 (+ £30.93 more than Exeter)

South Hams                   Tory                  £174.87 (+ £50.03)

Torridge                          Tory                 £179.30 (+ £54.46)

Teignbridge                    Tory                 £195.27 (+ £70.43)

North Devon                   Tory                 £208.79 (+ £83.95)

Mid Devon                      Tory                 £215.00 (+ £90.15)

West Devon                   Tory                 £240.81 (+ £115.97)

The highest-charging Tory Devon District Council charges a full 92.8% MORE than Labour-led Exeter! 

The Police Authority raised its Council Tax
contributions this year, while the constabulary had
 the 5th highest cuts in the country

Tory Porky #3: What you pay to the Labour-led City Council is only a fraction of your Council Tax. Just 8p in every £1 you pay goes to the City Council under Labour. The other 92p? That goes to the Tory County Council, and the Tory-dominated Police and Fire Authorities. The Tories' leaflet won't tell you that.

Tory Porky #4: There can be no "council tax bomshell"! Under national policy, council tax cannot increase by more than 3% without first being approved by a local referendum. So even if we were to increase Exeter council tax by the very maximum, it would mean residents' contributions would rise from 8p in the £, to a whacking, er, 8.24p! In other words, Exeter's tax, at £128.59 would still be 21% cheaper than the lowest neighbouring Tory authority, and still a huge 87% lower than the highest. 

The same leaflet that pushes this rubbish makes all sorts of other claims about the Tories and what they will or won't do, and their views of Labour, or of me as a candidate. I am not so much angry about the personal smears - they are to be expected when a sitting councillor feels threatened - I am angry that Tories think it is ok to deliberately attempt to mislead the public.

You can't trust the Tories on the NHS. You can't trust the Tories on tax. You can't trust the Tories on employment. You can't trust the Tories on the economy. You can't trust the Tories on local policy. You can't trust the Tories to tell you the truth.

You can't trust the Tories. Full stop.

Vote Labour on May 3rd.