A Letter to Editor, KM

Written by Guy Voizey on Sat 27th Jun 2009

Sir,

The system used to count the votes in the recent County Elections has led to an unbalanced council, with the Conservatives controlling 74 of the 84 seats having won less than half the votes.

Under such a system, there is a real risk councillors become out of touch with the people they represent. We have seen the effect of too many safe seats at Westminster in the form of unscrupulous MPs making inappropriate claims on their expenses.

However, I was shocked by how quickly the new Conservative council at KCC has lost touch with the people of Kent. This week 64 councillors voted themselves an 8% increase in their personal allowances. To put this into context, the staff at KCC were offered a 1% increase in salary this year and many more people are struggling to cope on reduced incomes, especially pensioners and those who have lost their jobs in the recession.

In a recession, it is outrageous for elected politicians to vote to line their own pockets so soon after an election. Is this the new Conservative Party David Cameron is promising?

Guy Voizey

Parliamentary Spokesman

Canterbury and Whitstable Liberal Democrats

6 Railway Avenue

Whitstable

Kent