Tempers fray with tax hike

By John Hill on March 15, 2007 12:00 AM

AN IRATE campaigner hurled water at a Labour councillor as a tax hike was finally decided.
Frustrated Carole Swords doused Marc Francis with a glass of water from the press desk as the party's 4.9 per cent council tax rise for Tower Hamlets was approved last Thursday (March 8).
The one-time Respect candidate, who is challenging the council's bid to transfer council homes to a housing association, had been heckling from the public gallery for several hours. And she snapped as Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors blocked a bid to have Cllr Francis ejected for telling her to shut up. She then stormed out, followed by security guards.

Last week's meeting was hastily arranged after bickering councillors ran out of time to debate the budget on February 28.
And the majority party used their advantage to push through their 2007/8 budget, blocking amendments from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Respect.
Thanks to a 5.3 per cent increase by the Greater London Authority, Band D (average) bills will now rise from #1,085.89 to #1,140.25 on April 1.
The budget will also cut respite care services for mothers of disabled children. Labour's budget-setter Joshua Peck said the budget would "deliver" good value despite the service slashes. He said: "This is something we have to do. We're striving to provide better services for children, and this requires a reconfiguration of services."
But Blackwall and Cubitt Town's Conservative councillor Peter Golds claimed the borough was "lumbered" with cuts due to last year's election-year tax freeze.
And Conservative leader, Millwall's Simon Rouse, demanded reductions on conference spending and staff travel expenses before public services.
He said: "It's a cowardly budget which seeks to attack the vulnerable before it attacks the waste of council money."
Respect councillors pushed for a #100,000 cap on annual wages for officers as they pushed their fat-cat-free budget. Cllr Rania Khan said: "If Labour's chums don't want to work here with a cap, there are plenty of other people who do."
Their calls came as The Taxpayers' Alliance revealed Tower Hamlets boasts 27 senior officers earning six-figure salaries - the highest number in the country.
Conservative councillor Peter Gold called the publication of salaries "deplorable".
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