Lib Dem - Euro Election Leaflet

Claim :

The Conservatives at Hampshire Council have spent 40 million pounds on a new HQ.

Fact :

This is not a new building, it is the refurbishment of an old building that was about to be condemned as unsafe.

The Lib Dem Leader and Deputy both APPROVED THIS REFURBISHMENT IN COMMITTEE!

The choice was a new building costing £70M outside Winchester or refurbishing the about to be condemned HQ at £40M.  This will not cost the Council Taxpayer a penny as it is being funded by the sales of unwanted land and buildings.

The refurbished HQ building will house double the number of staff and halve the HQ carbon footprint.

The County Council will sell three office buildings and relinquish the lease of another, as the refurbished HQ absorbs twice the number of staff than previously.

Claim :

Conservatives at Hampshire County Council spend £4.5M on spin and publicity

Fact :

Untrue. More than 50% is spent recruiting teachers and staff to replace leavers. 25% is spent on staff who answer 3000 press enquiries each year. 25% is spent producing information leaflets for our service users.

Claim :

"...Meanwhile they have cut our buses''

Fact :

The budget for subsidising commercial bus services has INCREASED and Hampshire spends more than other counties.

Some services have been reduced at off peak times because they were costing the Council Tax payer £10 per passenger, per trip.

Claim :

...Meanwhile they have cut our library staff and books

Fact :

The budget for books has been increased and has never been higher.  We have not closed a single library; on the contrary we have opened two Discovery Centres and increased opening hours.

We have reconfigured posts and some staff elected to take voluntary redundancy rather than change their jobs.

Claim :

...Meanwhile they have closed Old Peoples Homes.

Fact :

We have INCREASED the number of homes and increased the beds by 380.  We closed six unfit for purpose homes and built ten NEW HOMES and refurbished twenty existing homes at a capital cost of £47M.

Claim :

...Meanwhile our principal roads are rated 33rd out of 34.

Fact :

480 miles out of 6,000 miles were rated 33rd.  That was 8% only of principal roads compared to the best in the country at 7%.  In all other indices Hampshire is at or near the top.  This particular target is 18 months out of date.

Claim :

Conservatives have spent £12,000 on 6 taps at Hampshire County Council.  – Can you trust them with your money?

Fact :

These are 6 complete water systems including boilers, trunking, electrics, and circuitry to serve 1200 staff with instant hot and cold water, and are no different from the systems now to be found in Village Halls. 

DO NOT TRUST LIB DEM CLAIMS. TRUST THE CONSERVATIVE ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS LED HAMPSHIRE TO BEING RATED THE BEST BY THE AUDIT COMMISSIOM, AND WITH THE SECOND LOWEST COUNCIL TAX INCREASE IN THE COUNTRY AT 1.9% THIS YEAR AND NEXT (2010/11)