Letter to the Press

Friday 4th April, 2008



Dear Editor,

Last week Cllr Osbourne accused a resident, who wrote in claiming Kingston had the highest Council tax increase in London, of getting his facts wrong. I accuse Cllr Osbourne of spinning statistics to show his conceited Executive in light much brighter than they deserve.

Lambeth Council, which Cllr Osborune claimed to be highest council tax increase in percentage, increased council tax by £52.12 in cash terms for a Band D home while Kingston Council increased council tax by £57.57; putting Kingston in front by £5.45.

Cllr Osbourne knows he is in the wrong from the shear fact that he has searched to find the indicator that could possibly show Kingston in a better light. He used the wholly inappropriate RPI index to suggest that Kingston’s Council tax rise was below inflation (the wrong inflation, Mr Osbourne) when it was in fact above the Government official inflation of 2.2 per cent - which Kingston is higher than. And he has now chosen to use percentage increase to twist the reality of the figures on the highest increase.

If Cllr Osbourne took away all his game playing he would see that there is no getting away from the fact that Kingston is the HIGHEST council tax in London and has the HIGHEST cash increase in London. Now the question is, what is he going to do about it?

Yours,




Cllr Ken Smith

Conservative Councillor for St James Ward

Vice Chairman for Maldens and Coombe Neighbourhood