October 13th, 2017.

Lib Dems release:




The Liberal Democrats have hit out at divided Conservatives at local and national levels, with Conservative Councillors calling for the government to give more money to councils while the Member of Parliament votes to cut council budgets.

Following the East Sussex County Council meeting on Tuesday the 10th of October and the Conservative cabinet call last week for more money from central government, Liberal Democrats point out the contradiction in messages from local Tories.

Kelly-Marie Blundell, (pictured), Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Lewes, who was narrowly beaten by Maria Caulfield MP in June 2017, called the Conservatives confused; “Let’s be clear about this. We have Conservative Councillors calling for one thing, and a Conservative MP voting for another. People have a right to demand answers as we see massive cuts to schools, social care and libraries.

“Maria Caulfield MP has consistently voted for cuts to local government, obeying the whip as we expect, the most recent being in March 2017 when she voted to cut local government budgets by 44%.

“For the Conservative Cabinet to head up a Stand Up for East Sussex campaign is at the very least confusing, at the worst, a distraction to the reality of the cuts the government is putting our county through.

“What is worse is the Conservative MP trying to support the very services she voted to cuts. Her position on libraries and schools comes to mind, as she simultaneously cuts their budgets at a national level. 

“And of course, nationally, we have the Conservative Prime Minister giving £10 billion to the DUP to stay in a minority government that is dismantling the public sector and wasting time and money on continued Brexit negotiations that are getting nowhere.”

East Sussex County Council Liberal Democrat Leader David Tutt echoed the complaint, saying; "The government is placing a stranglehold on local authorities.

"The Conservative MPs are bringing pain to their own communities by voting for financial measures which cut grants to Councils whilst they at the same time spend a fortune on Brexit.

"Today we saw Conservative Councillors criticise the very government cuts their MPs are voting for.”