Financial worries in Surrey

There is growing concern for the state of Surrey County Council's finances. Over the last 6 years council tax in Surrey has gone up almost 20%, while many have seen only small increases in wages. In spite of these increases, we are facing a staggering £123m of cuts to services in the next 12 months.

Earlier in the year we were threatened with a 15% increase in council tax for this financial year. Unfortunately nothing has really changed: we still have a Tory government, a Tory led county council and a Tory led borough council, so the pinch on our finances is going to continue and will hit all of us in the pocket.

The changes to recycling sites are only a small part of how our services will be cut. There are worrying times ahead regarding support services for the elderly and less able bodied across the borough. The Surrey Tories at County Hall have invested £199m in commercial properties outside of Surrey, which is now more than 75% of its investment portfolio. This is a very risky strategy giving a maximum return of only 2%. But with three layers of Tory power there is no one to question them!