This is the letter that was printed in a prime position in the Ham & High recently but was turned down for publication by the CNJ.
Dear Ham & High
Camden's Labour councillors have regularly blamed the Coalition Government for any shortfall in the Council's performance. "The Government cuts are to blame" is the regular mantra your readers have learnt to expect.
But the true nature of the Council's finances was revealed in a written answer to my question to the Cabinet Member for Finance at the last Council meeting before the elections.
In the last four years the Council has underspent its set budgets every year. The total underspend over that time is £19.2 millions. Most of that money was transferred into "earmarked reserves" but mysteriously most of these reserves have simply grown over time and have not been spent.
During that same time Camden has closed libraries, cut spending on street sweeping and refuse collections, and cut the grants to the voluntary sector groups that do so much to maintain the social fabric of our borough.
In total the Council is sitting on reserves and balances that have now reached over £100 millions. Some of this is rightly set aside for capital programme schemes like investment in our schools.
But most of the money is not saved for such items. For example there is enough cash to restore spending on the street sweeping to its former levels, (a source of regular complaints in West Hampstead), and we could better fund voluntary sector groups, plus a lot more besides.
So the next time you hear Labour's excuse - "it's the Government's fault" - don't you believe them! As my colleague Cllr Matt Sanders tweeted at the Council meeting - "Cllr John Bryant uncovers a £19m underspend. Labour slash services and blame government, while hoarding taxpayers money."
That really does say it all.
Cllr John Bryant
West Hampstead ward
LB Camden
