Wirral's Conservatives have been accused of misleading the public over how they voted on a recent Council Tax rise.
Labour's candidate for the Greasby, Frankby, and Irby seat in next month's elections Mark Skillicorn said Conservatives were “keen to mislead the public” referring to a newsletter distributed by Conservative candidates David Fairbairn, Darren May and councillor Tracy Elzeiny.
In the letter, Cllr Elzeiny said: “I could not support such a tax rise when residents cannot even get grass verges cut or their roads and pavements maintained” under a headline “Library Saved and Tax Rise Opposed.”
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However Wirral’s Conservative leader Cllr Tom Anderson said he and all Conservative councillors had voted for the Council Tax rise at a budget setting meeting arguing it would have been irresponsible to vote against it.
Official council records and a broadcast of the meeting show no one voted against raising Council Tax as part of this year’s budget with the only abstention being civic Mayor Jeff Green.
Mr Skillicorn, who is running alongside Grahame McManus and Gail Jenkinson, said: "After all the lies and deception that people have suffered from the Conservative Government, it should come as no surprise that our local Conservatives are just as keen to mislead the public.
“Voting for the Wirral Council Tax rise but then, in their leaflets, claiming to oppose it should show everyone how untrustworthy and irresponsible Conservatives are everywhere."
Liberal Democrat candidate Alan Brighouse said: ‘Without the increase in the Council Tax the maintenance of the roads and pavements and many other services would deteriorate even further.
“Reductions in Government funding leave councils, whether Conservative, Labour or Lib Dem with no alternative but to increase the Council Tax.”
In response, Cllr Elzeiny said: “Labour cannot deflect from their appalling record in Greasby, Frankby & Irby. Voting to build on our greenbelt, paying off £500,000 to developers to get out of the Hoylake golf course folly, to squandering £7 million on the Vue Cinema in Birkenhead.
“Council Tax payers know that Labour just cannot be trusted with our greenbelt, or to spend their Council Tax wisely.”
At the meeting on February 27, Cllr Elzeiny voted in favour of setting Band D council tax at £1,798.48 representing an increase of 4.99%.
When asked to explain her comments that she couldn’t support a Council Tax rise, Cllr Elzeiny said she didn’t have anything more to add.
Other candidates in Greasby, Frankby and Irby include Cllr David Burgess-Joyce who is running as an independent, Miriam Cooke, Tom Green, and Cathy Page for the Green Party, and Rosie Evans for Freedom Alliance. Stop the Great Reset. Voters will go to the polls on May 4.
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