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Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg tours 2K Manufacturing in Luton with Luton South candidate Qurban Hussain and CEO Omer Kutluoglu 13 April 2010. Credit Alex Folkes

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP, made a return visit to Luton yesterday.

He met with Liberal Democrat candidate for Luton South Qurban Hussain and together they toured the factory of 2K Manufacturing which makes products from recycled plastic.

Qurban Hussain said; “I was delighted to welcome Nick back to Luton. This is the third time in a few months that Nick Clegg has visited the town and it shows just how seriouly the Liberal Democrats are taking our campaign in Luton South.”

Liberal Democrat Councillors say Labour budget cuts will hit the most vulnerable and the Labour Council needs to think again.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have pointed to a long list of damaging front line service cuts included in Labour’s Council Budget and have identified the following £1.68M list as the most worrying:

• £281,000 cuts in education funding.
• £200,000 cut by closing St. Kilda’s Children’s Home.
• £480,000 cut in projected payments to private residential and nursing homes – an effective freeze at current prices.
• A £100,000 cut in Learning and Physical Disability Support.
• £66,000 cuts in employment promotion.
• £50,000 cut in cemeteries and the crematorium grounds maintenance.
• £78,000 cut in street cleaning and weed spraying.
• £325,000 cut in street light replacements.
• £100,000 cancellation of the Equalities Agency project.

“It is outrageous they are putting forward cuts in education at a time when Luton schools are struggling to get somewhere near National average performance, cuts in employment promotion when more Luton people are losing their jobs and youngster find it impossible to find work, cuts the fees paid to private care homes when they are closing Council run homes”, says Liberal Democrat Prospective candidate for Luton South, Qurban Hussain.

“Labour’s finance chief, Councillor Harris, keeps on saying there are no service cuts in his budget but it is simply not true. He may have convinced himself, and seems to have convinced his labour colleagues, but the savage cuts are there for all to see. You only have to look at the details of the budget he has produced.”

When the Council budget was discussed at the full Council meeting on Wednesday evening (17th February) Liberal Democrat Councillors moved to send it back to the Council’s Labour executive but the move was defeated by the Labour majority at the meeting.

“It now looks like these cuts will go ahead,” said Liberal Democrat leader, David Franks. “I do not envy them the task of explaining to dedicated and talented young musicians why their chances of reaching high standards in their music are being diminished, why their ambition to make a career in music will be much harder to achieve.”

A Labour member of the Police Authority suspended for three months is to be replaced by Labour member suspended from the Council for three months.

“What kind of sleaze merchants are running Luton Council these days?” asks Liberal Democrat leader.

Following the news that Labour run Luton Council is to appoint Councillor Harris to the £9,000 a year Police Authority post left vacant after the resignation of suspended Councillor Saleem, Liberal Democrats on the Council have slammed the Labour leadership of the Council for what they call a crazy decision.

“With public confidence in politicians at all levels at the lowest level I can remember, replacing a suspended Police Authority member with another Councillor who was recently suspended for different reasons makes no sense at all,” says Liberal Democrat leader, David Franks.

“They seem to have no sense of shame or contrition at all. This decision will do nothing to help restore people’s faith in their elected representatives and they should think again.”