Chesterfield's Labour Town Hall bosses decided at a recent emergency Council meeting to hit some of Chesterfield's poorest residents with Council Tax charges. Julia Cambridge, Chesterfield's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokeswoman says: 'Take the easy decision John not the difficult one.' Council Leader John Burrows had said in a recent statement, 'we have had to make some difficult decisions' but he and the other Labour Town Hall bosses have refused point blank to take an 'easy decision 'instead.'

The former Liberal Democrat run council had previously entered into an award winning partnership with the private company AVARTO which has guaranteed Town Hall staff jobs for 10 years, brought in new jobs to Chesterfield and saved Council Tax payers over £400,000 a year. John Burrows praised this deal but now refuses to enter stage two of the partnership which would save taxpayers almost another £100,000 which could be used for efficiency savings without the need for Council tax rises. That money could have been used to make up the shortfall in benefits funding that currently supports all the Council Tax for people on low incomes.

Julia added: 'This needless attack on the vulnerable is motivated entirely from out dated ideology. Hitting the poor for political reasons is wrong. This decision will cost jobs along with the pound in the pocket of already low paid workers. Labour in Chesterfield should be ashamed of themselves.'

'They need to explain why they are treating the poorest people in Chesterfield with utter contempt and why they are refusing to work with the private sector. Carefully planned partnership with the private sector benefits everyone as with the brilliantly successful partnerships with Avarto to run office staff for the Council and with other companies to empty the bins and manage Tapton Golf Course.'