Letter: Take care about switching, Daisy

Published 8 Jul 2010 10:00 1 Comment

I find it ironic that Daisy Benson, the Lib Dem lead councillor for community Care in their coalition with the Tories, should be attacking Labour for trying to maintain the "eligibility criteria" which to put it simply means that about 2,800 elderly and disabled people in Reading are getting help who would lose out if they lived in Tory Wokingham or West Berkshire.

I remember about 15 years ago, when I was chair of social services in Berkshire in a coalition between Labour and the Lib Dems, being pressed hard by the then county treasurer to cut back on eligibility for care. I said, and I was supported by my Lib Dem vice-chair, that this would be morally unacceptable. My colleagues agreed, Berkshire maintained its eligibility criteria and so did Labour Reading when we became a unitary authority.

It is through a policy that does not come cheap and it has always been under threat from the Tories.

But when last October the Tories tried to cap the budget, which would have meant cutting back on eligibility, the Lib Dems supported the Labour administration and the policy was maintained - the policy that Cllr Benson, who voted for it then, now dismisses as an "unfunded commitment" (Reading Chronicle, July 1).

Well, let her justify those words to the 2,800 elderly and disabled people whose care is now under threat, under threat from her.

The last entry on Daisy Benson's famous blog is for May 17 and says she was backing Nick Clegg at the special LibDem conference called to rubber-stamp his deal with the Tories.

Well, as some of the placards we were holding at the demo before the council meeting said, "Nick Clegg is the one with the axe" - an axe which Cllr Benson and her fellow Reading LibDems are obviously happy to help wield.

Cllr Pete Ruhemann, Southcote Ward

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• 

  Spirit of Friday
  Unregistered User
  Jul 11, 18:53
  Report comment

  Oh Councillor Ruhemann you are a fine one to talk about changing positions. During your time in the Labour party you have moved so far from your original 'beliefs' you must be feeling dizzy.
  
  Your party complied with every cut the Tory government asked of it when it ran Reading and accumulated a debt of millions before it left office just like Labour did nationally.
  
  I assume you supported Blairs' benefit cuts when he first came to office, his illegal war Iraq and the wholesale privatisations.
  
  The Blair/Brown regime privatised more than Thatcher so don't lecture a new administration which is trying to get to grips with the mess you left.
  
  From what i know of Councillor Benson she is a committed and caring politician who will try to ensure social care for the people in Reading is provided for those in need.
  
  Of course Councillor Ruhemann wouldn't recognise a principled politician he doesn't have any in his discredited party.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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