Suspicious U-turn by the Lib Dems
I MAY be accused of cynicism, but am I alone in suspecting that there is more than a casual connection between the U-turn on a Workplace Parking Levy and the Post's article about the policy positions of the respective Bristol Mayoral Candidates a couple of days earlier?
On September 26, the Post asked all the declared mayoral candidates where they stood on the vexed question of imposing an extra parking tax on city centre businesses and only the Liberal Democrat and Green party candidates backed this disastrous innovation.
Then, suddenly less than 48 hours later, we were advised that the Lib Dem council cabinet were dumping this deeply unpopular policy plank.
A cynic (or realist) could be justified in thinking that Bristol's Liberal Democrats were ditching workplace parking in order to give their own party candidate a better chance against his rivals in the Mayoral Election on November 15.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
After all, the Administration has form on this, with Cllr Tim Kent announcing that the Council which the Lib Dems have led for almost seven years out of the last nine) would 'get tough' with public transport operators, including First Group, only the day before the Mayoral Referendum in May.
Let's hope that whoever is elected Mayor of Bristol consigns such narrow short-termism to the dust-bin of history and develops policy on the sound ground of what is right for a great regional city.
Cllr Richard Eddy
Conservative Councillor Bishopsworth
Comments
by smoosername
Saturday, October 06 2012, 12:10AM
“@gary_hopkins - "Business west .Which represents the business community.Read the back copies of their mag"
You mean this Business West - http://tinyurl.com/8adb4my
3rd Link Down - Business West statement on Work Place Parking Levy Business - doc
http://tinyurl.com/9ydzpt6
Quote - "Business West is firmly against anything that could be seen as an additional tax on business"
So I'll ask again..... Care to list the businesses that supported this idea?”
by gary_hopkins
Friday, October 05 2012, 11:59PM
“Business west .
Which represents the business community.Read the back copies of their mag”
by smoosername
Friday, October 05 2012, 3:48PM
“@gary_hopkins - "Business leaders were very keen to progress the transport schemes (BRT etc) and therefore agreed to go along with workplace charging as a realistic proposition"
Care to list the businesses that supported this idea?”
by gary_hopkins
Friday, October 05 2012, 10:37AM
“As Cllr Eddy knows nobody likes paying tax but money has to be found by councils, especially in todays tough climate ,from a number of sources.
The West of England partnership had had for some years a policy of demand management charging for Bristol city centre.This was based on a cordon charge £5? a day to enter the city centre. This was inefficient and unreasonable and I specifically ruled it out.
Business leaders were very keen to progress the transport schemes (BRT etc) and therefore agreed to go along with workplace charging as a realistic proposition to government for finding the cash for our contribution.
Nobody likes paying tax and wants somebody else to pay it but it was successful in getting government to award us a huge % of the national funding pot for transport.
With the recently agreed city deal the council now has access to new sources of funding and we have the government money for the schemes in the bag.Hence the change.
This first chink of light in bristol being able to keep some of the vast revenue we generate has only happened because of Lib Dems in Government breaking the 50+years of suffocating centralisation from Tory and Labour governments.More is needed.”