If Tameside Labour Council was to make known the cuts to public services before any election, would you vote in the same way?

Tameside Labour Councillors closed libraries soon after the 2012 Local Elections - knowing it would be almost two years before the people could vote again!

Political parties decide when to take unpopular decisions and they always wait until the elections are over before giving people the bad news.

Tameside Labour Council waited until a month after the 2012 local election before cutting jobs, closing the libraries, public toilets and other services. Now they will take the decision in June regarding which Children’s Centres in Tameside will be closing – a month after the election in May.

Last year there was no local election, so the Labour Council put up the Council Tax at the same time as the Tories introduced the “Bedroom Tax”. This year, there is a local election so there just happens to be no increase in the Council Tax in 2014.

Isn’t it convenient for Tameside Labour Council to make unpopular cuts after elections and to increase Council Tax at a time when no elections are taking place?

Scheming, tactical, purposely done, crafty party politics – and this is what your local elected councillors do best for the people of Tameside!

And these councillors are always quick in attempting to grab some of the limelight for themselves when it is residents who have actually made the effort. It was local people who fought to save Haughton Green Library – it certainly wasn’t the local Labour politicians who closed it in the first place. It is all the volunteers - who give up their own free time - who deserve the praise and recognition for everything they have achieved so far and for never giving up the fight to keep the library!

I believe we have a dirty, dishonest, rotten system of local government that needs to be changed - and if those who make the decisions will not change it, then YOU have to change those who make the decisions!

Carl Simmons

Denton South Independent

Friday 2nd May 2014