Kevin Brennan MP has today challenged local Tories to come clean on what their policy of deep spending cuts would mean for public services here in Cardiff and whether they support Labour’s new investment unveiled in the recent Budget.

Kevin Brennan MP said:

“It is now clear that in response to Gordon Brown’s Budget, the Conservative Party refused to match Labour’s new commitments on investment in schools, skills, security and policing and instead confirmed they would cut spending on Britain’s public services.

“Today I’m challenging Tories here in Cardiff to come clean and spell out what the impact of these spending cuts would mean for Cardiff’s public services.

In particular local Tories now must explain to the people of Cardiff:

- whether they support Labour’s commitment to increase education spending, or whether they will maintain a policy of putting tax cuts first, before education;
- whether they support Labour’s long term aim to bring per pupil state school spending in line with spending in the private sector or whether they will maintain a policy of putting tax cuts first, before education;
- whether they support Labour’s extra £100 million to recruit more Community Support Officers or whether they will maintain a policy of putting tax cuts first, before making Cardiff safer;
- whether they support the increases in the Child Tax Credit, or whether they still want to cut it;
- whether they support Labour’s expansion of the New Deal for jobs and skills, or whether they still want to abolish it;
- whether they support Labour’s Climate Change Levy to help tackle pollution, or whether they still want to scrap it;
- whether they support the two fiscal rules introduced by Labour or whether they still want to introduce a new fiscal rule that would mean public spending cuts of £17 billion this year and £16 billion next.
“Only Labour is making the right decisions to ensure Britain and Cardiff are equipped to face the challenges and grasp the opportunities of the future. In opposing Labour’s extra investment in schools, skills, security and policing, it is now clearer than ever that far from David Cameron’s Conservatives having changed, they look very much like the same old Conservative Party committed to deep cuts in public services.”