The Conservative Party

Watford Observer:

Linda Topping is Conservative candidate for Nascot ward

Watford Conservatives have been busy caring and campaigning for our community, alongside our fantastic MP Richard Harrington. We want to build on all his achievement to make Watford an even more attractive place to live and work.

We want to support hard working people and small businesses by freezing council tax and business rates. We also pledge to freeze all licence costs, including for Watford’s thriving taxi community.

On top of that, we want to reduce all overheads at the council but reviewing current expenditure to cut waste, making sure that taxpayers’ money is being used to improve local services.

Importantly, the council must be more transparent and accountable, and so we pledge to hold regular public meetings, ensuring that Watford residents get the chance to give feedback. We also want to see all council services available to the public during working hours.

Watford has not got a Conservative voice on its council. A vote for us is a vote for change and for better democracy. We will work tirelessly to improve our community, and we want your help to do it.

  • Chris Baxter is campaign manager for Watford Conservatives

Labour

Watford Observer:

The choice on May 2 is between a better Watford with Labour - or more of the same old ‘Let Down Liberal Democrats’.

Labour offers a positive choice for the future. Our priorities are:

  • A greener Watford – declaring Watford a Climate Emergency Town with the objective of zero carbon emissions by 2030.
  • A safer Watford – Action to stop knife crime, domestic violence and racism. We will campaign to get the street lights back on at night.
  • A healthier Watford – Labour campaigns for the money our local NHS needs and for full investment to rebuild Watford Hospital.
  • An opportunity Watford – all school leavers should have access to further education, training, an apprenticeship or a job. We will campaign for an extra secondary school.
  • Homes for Watford people – all new developments to include 50 per cent social housing. We would build council housing again - borrowing capital to be repaid by rent.
  • By contrast the tired old Liberal Democrats are now letting us all down. After 17 years in power they are failing Watford.
  • Despite being elected in 2002 promising to reduce council tax they still charge you the highest tax in Hertfordshire. They waste your money on failed projects like moving Watford market.
  • They have failed to build social housing and give in to developers, failing to insist on affordable homes.
  • The Lib Dems are cramming Watford with flats that local people cannot afford. In the last year they approved more than 2,221 new developments when the government target is 750.

The Liberal Democrats

Watford Observer:

With the ongoing shambles about Brexit dominating the headlines, it’s sometimes easy to forget that in just a week’s time voters will go to the polls to decide the future direction of our town. These will be important elections.

When Dorothy Thornhill was elected Mayor, Watford had been named and shamed as one of the worst run councils in the country. Since then, the Liberal Democrats have worked hard to turn the town around. We’ve sorted out the council’s finances, invested in our parks and leisure centres and improved our town centre.

Since my election last year, I’ve been working to continue to improve our town. After the Labour Mayor of London stopped the Metropolitan Line Extension, I have made improving local transport a priority. This year we will be launching new on-demand bus services and a bike share scheme. I will also be doing all I can to make sure that we make progress on an alternative to the Met Line Extension.

I’ve worked to help vulnerable people in our town. We are one of the very few councils in our area that has reduced the number of local families living in temporary accommodation. We are building new council houses for local families and, are working closely with local homeless charities.

We are continuing to invest in our local parks and leisure centres, supporting vital organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Shopmobility and providing free community events across the town. Despite a 70 per cent reduction in funding from central government over the last decade, I have increased Watford’s council tax by less than any other council in Hertfordshire.

For the first time ever, the Conservatives are not standing in every ward in Watford. They seem to have given up on the town. Independent inspectors now say that Watford is one of the best-run councils in the UK, a far cry from when we were named and shamed as one of the worst under Labour.

Please vote Liberal Democrat on May 2 so that we can work together to make this an even better place to live.

  • Peter Taylor is elected mayor of Watford