Harlow Conservative Party – You couldn’t make it up!

Dear Editor,

COUNCILLOR Mark Ingall was right to highlight ‘an act of rank hypocrisy’ in the behaviour of Harlow Conservative Councillors & ECC Councillors in his recent press release on 05/03/2020.

At the January Council Meeting Cllr Russell Perrin proposed the Conservative alternative budget, which included:

£250,000 for Secondary Education Endowment Fund

£250,000 for Primary Education Endowment Fund

We now have the local Conservative Councillors, including ECC Councillors, proposing we spend £500,000 on Schools which is the responsibility of Essex County Council. In addition, Robert Halfon MP, is the Chair of the Education Select Committee, who will know the cuts per pupil that have already been made to Harlow Schools (previously reported by Your Harlow on 15/11/2019).

You have to ask yourself just what are the ECC Councillors for Harlow actually doing for the residents of Harlow?

Harlow Council is already funding the street lighting ECC cut, there have been cuts to respite care for families with children/adults with disabilities and the provision for Youths in our Town is non-existent. Occasio House which closed in September 2016 is a derelict building and the issue of our Libraries is yet to be determined. Our cycle tracks, underpasses, pavements, lighting and roads are part of Essex County Council responsibilities and yet they do not appear to be a priority.

The Harlow Alliance Party recently wrote about the Harlow Conservatives taking the credit from other parties and they were absolutely right; we need to start holding our Harlow Conservative Councillors and ECC Councillors to account.

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, for Harlow appears to be 85/15 with Harlow Council picking up the pieces for Essex County Council who hold the biggest share. For the Conservative Alternative Budget to propose that out of our small share £500,000 is spent on schools, is nothing short of foolhardy!

In the next few weeks the Harlow Times will be landing on Harlow Residents doorsteps and will also be available from the Civic Centre. The online version of the new edition shows on Pg 20 & 21 the different responsibilities that Harlow Council have compared to Essex County Council, it also shows who the respective Councillors are. Let’s start holding ECC Councillors to account and stop any attempt of shifting responsibilities from ECC to Harlow Council.

Let’s remember, Harlow Conservatives claim to be the Tax Cutting Party. Their tactic of trying to shame Harlow Labour Party on the issue of Council Tax when ECC Councillors voted for the increases, shows the underhand attempts to get votes. Let’s start calling them out on these issues, as the residents of Harlow deserve better!

https://www.harlow.gov.uk/community/harlow-times

Frances L Mason

Councillor for Toddbrook