The Shropshire Liberal Democrat group have repeatedly and vocally indicated that they are prepared to put Shropshire Council into insolvency.
If the Lib Dems take control of Shropshire Council in May they intend to issue a Section 114 notice, effectively declaring the council bankrupt.
The impact on residents will be big increases in Council Tax and public services stripped back to only what the council is legally obliged to provide.
The council isn’t bankrupt so why do the Lib Dems want to declare that it is? Because the Conservative administration has managed to balance the books through a once in a lifetime pandemic and unprecedented financial pressures caused by global events and they have no idea how to do that going forward.
They have been open about their intentions, and it has been in the papers and what’s happening in Birmingham couldn’t have come at a better time.
- Do you want the same here as bankrupt Birmingham? Because that’s what will happen if the Lib Dems take control of the council.
- The average Council Tax increase over the last 5 years for a council that’s issued a s.114 notice is 8% and in return for paying that extra tax your services will be cut back to the statutory minimum.
- Government administrators will stop the council spending money on anything that they’re not legally required to spend money on.
Balancing the budget is hard but if they bankrupt the council and put up Council Tax by a big amount they’re starting off with more money to play with. It’s an easy way out for them but it costs you as the taxpayer more money and you get less for it. They said they’re going to do this, the only way to stop it happening is stopping the Lib Dems from taking control.
Edward Bird - Councillor for Shifnal South and Cosford 