I really did not think I would see the day when Conservatives voted to keep taxation higher than it needed to be. Yet in reality that is what the Conservatives on Sefton Council did when they opposed the Lib Dem budget proposal for a 1% Council tax reduction last Thursday.

But it goes much deeper than that as the Conservatives voted with Labour not to cut senior councillors allowances and not to call for a review into the number of councillors on Sefton Council.

With Labour we all understand that they favour higher taxation and indeed they have demonstrated how out of touch they are locally by raising the tax that Merseyside residents have to pay to the Fire and Police Authorities for 2012/13. And at the grass roots of local democracy Labour voted down a 10% reduction in Maghull Town Council’s tax on Maghull’s residents – This is a Labour run Parish Council sat on £1/4m (£250,000) of public money with no plans for it!

So, with Labour, it is clear; it’s a head in the sand ‘keep taxing them’ attitude despite the difficulties ordinary families are in because of the Brown/Bankers recession. But what on earth makes the Sefton Tories act like municipal socialists with their tax and spend agenda to rival Labour?

The Lib Dem view on Sefton Borough and indeed Maghull Town Council is clear; invest public money wisely and return what is not required to hard pressed residents. We feel that wise investment of public money is into Sefton’s tourism economy and recycling of cardboard/plastics but Tories and Labour opposed such moves as well!

So Sefton ended up with a 2012/13 budget which is not green, does not return money to the pockets of hard pressed families, does not invest in Sefton’s vital tourism industry and fails to address public calls for the number of councillors to reviewed. In the cold light of day Labour will sing another verse of the Red Flag and be self satisfied but what on earth will Conservative members and supporters across the Borough be thinking as their councillors backed Labour’s head in the sand agenda?