Broken promises and a catalogue of waste has been exposed after four years of Derbyshire Labour's control of the county council.
Four years ago the Corbyn-supporting Labour group pledged to listen to local people and deliver services local people need. The reality is they have failed to protect services, have wasted millions on their political projects and are no longer improving life for local people.
Four years ago:
• Labour promised to keep residential homes open and offer older people "…choice in residential care…" But Labour broke the promise by closing four residential homes, scrapping the Derbyshire Conservative's modern, new care home building programme and cut 125,000 home help hours
• Labour promised an extra £1 million to repair damaged roads and pavements… But Labour broke the promise and cut road maintenance by £6 million from £10m to £4m a year
• Labour promised to invest an extra £250,000 in the youth service… But Labour broke the promise and cut the Youth Service budget by over £500,000. Now 4000 (37%) fewer young people get the service
• Labour promised to improve bus services… But Labour broke the promise by cutting support for Community Transport and local bus services by £2 million (38%)
• Labour promised to "develop a new and stronger relationship between the council and staff and mend the rift with borough and district councils" But Labour broke the promise by destroying staff morale, isolating the council and creating a major rift with Chesterfield.
Instead Derbyshire Labour has:
• Awarded a 12% pay rise to its senior Labour councillors - the 15-strong Cabinet has claimed £1.4m in the last four years a massive 34% increase • Increased council tax by an average of £134 per home
• Stashed £233million away in reserves while cutting important services • Refurbished their offices costing hundreds of thousands of pounds • Spent £6 million on publicity to promote their messages
• Wasted millions on an innovation unit that doesn't innovate, golden handshakes and expensive legal fights.
Commenting on Labour's record over the last four years Derbyshire Conservative Group Leader Barry Lewis said: "Labour's true priorities have been exposed and they do not reflect what local people want .
"The sad fact is, they have been more interested in increasing their pay packets and sitting in plush offices than in protecting local services."
Councillor Lewis said - if elected on 4 May - the Derbyshire Conservatives would undo Labour's damage to services and reverse the 12% extra Labour paid themselves.
"We will invest in services and will pay for it by getting rid of Labour's waste, working closely with the voluntary and private partners and using some of the £233m council reserve," he added.
"Labour has got its priorities wrong and can't be trusted to deliver what they say they will. The facts speak for themselves. We simply can't afford another four years of Labour."