CITY OF PRESTON LABOUR PARTY

Preston Liberal Democrats have been accused of betraying their own voters and the poorest people in Preston, after supporting the Tories VAT bombshell rise.  Labour councillors were stunned as local Lib Dems, who claimed that they would be the true voice of opposition in Preston at the last election, voted in favour of the VAT tax rise at a recent council meeting.

The VAT rise has been strongly criticised, not just by the Labour Party, but also trade unions and business leaders.

• Pensioners will be hardest hit by the VAT increase to 20% in the Government’s June Budget
• Pensioners have not been compensated for the extra costs with increases in tax allowances or benefits.
• No one voted for this unfair VAT increase. In the election, David Cameron said: "We have absolutely no plans to raise VAT."
• The Lib-Dems campaigned against a VAT increase and accused the Conservatives of hiding a secret VAT bombshell.
• The Tory-Lib-Dem unfair VAT increase to 20% is a broken promise that will hit the poorest hardest.

Leader of Lancashire Labour Group, Jennifer Mein, said 'I'm disgusted. The Liberal Democrats all backed the VAT rise. In the run up to the general election, they actively campaigned against it – I heard at hustings meetings Liberal Democrat candidates say how unfair it would be to increase vat. They have completely betrayed their voters and delivered nothing but a broken promise.'

To highlight the scale of the u-turn, Liberal Democrat County Councillor Mark Jewell, who was their parliamentary candidate in Preston and campaigned against the rise, was the first to speak in favour of the VAT rise and voted with the Tories.

Those most in need are paying the price for the Liberal Democrats broken promises. Preston Labour Party is calling on local people to support the national Labour Party's petition against the unfair VAT rise.