Eric Neal-County Election 2009 (Analysis) Lib/Dem

FROM THE LIB/DEM LEAFLET

To give our children they support they need, the Lib Dems are committed to recruiting more youth workers and have proposed an extra Ł500,000 for youth facilities.

FACTS NOT SPIN

How many youth workers are they going to recruit? Regretfully they did not tell us, so we do not know how much money they will spend on this extra staff?
As an example we Conservatives committed a further Ł2.5 million to Children's Services this year which will allow them to recruit about 90 extra staff.
These extra staff will assist in admin dutys thereby reducing the workload of the County's social workers, which will allow them to spend more time in the front line.
Ł500,000 might seem a lot but I can assure you it is not, Hampshire has a population of over 1,250,000!

FROM THE LIB/DEM LEAFLET

To help in these tough economic times, the Liberal Democrats produced a fully costed plan which would have frozen the County's Council tax this year and they are committed NOT to increase it next year should they take control of Hampshire.

FACTS NOT SPIN

A 1.9% increase by Conservative led Hampshire County council for this year is the lowest in England.
The Liberal Democrats in Hampshire are going to go even lower at no increase at all?
Evidence:-

The then Lib/Dem controled Devon County council increase was 2.89%. They had sold Exeter Airport giving them Ł48 million to provide extra cash, would you sell assets in times like these?
Obviously the Lib/Dem sale of Exeter Airport went down well with the good people of Devon, the Lib/Dems lost 19 seats.
The Conservatives took control of the County Council on the 4th of June 2009. Bye bye Lib/Dems.

Second place is taken by Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock from Portsmouth on Ł152,760 beating last years second place Mark Oaten of Winchester into 4th place on Ł146,826.

3rd place goes to Labour MP John Denham of Southampton Itchen on Ł147,039