I have to admire councillor Kevin Buck’s brass neck in his latest letter featured on your pages about the council’s proposed budget.

The fact that he takes issue with the 3.99 per cent rise in council tax, implying that it would be lower if the Conservatives were running the council, seems to ignore that their own Government instructed councils to raise tax by 5 per cent.

Given that Southend Conservatives have never been more than complaint little cheerleaders for their national party, it stretches credibility to breaking point to imagine that they would have defied the government on this.

Further, councillor Buck describes this as an ‘austerity’ budget despite the fact that we have protected services from cuts and are investing in housing, roads and pavements, and social care for the people of Southend.

My only response can be to quote one of the best films ever made: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

MATT DENT

Labour councillor for Kursaal ward

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