Two-faced on Tory Toll

So 'Never is a long time'? Tory campaign incompetence or deliberate u-turn?

Despite the waffle from the Cameron Conservatives in the press last week over the Tunnel Toll it seems that they will say anything to residents before an election to secure a vote, which now undertaking a u-turn on the Tunnel Toll.

In what is a clear breach of the '100% Guarantee' to the voters of River Ward it can be revealed that Medway Conservatives have been two-faced on the Tory toll. Telling one audience there will never be a toll before the local election whilst now suggesting that never is a long time and that it could happen.

It is not clear whether the senior Tory leadership were even aware of what their candidates were promising in what is an abject failure of campaign management.

Councillor Jarrett stated to the Medway Messenger last week that:

"I can't say if we ever would, but I can say we have never looked at it so far. They might huff and puff and say I'm lying but that is the case"

Councillor Jarrett was responding to the charge led by this blogger in the Council Chamber that the Tories lied to the voters of River Ward, when Councillor Jarrett revealed that "never is a long time"

The stupidity of the Conservatives to use that particular phrase when less than four months previously they promised in the ironically titled 'No tolls, not now, not ever under a Conservative Administration' on the River Ward Labour Watch Blog that

'There are no plans, there have never been any plans and there never will be a toll on Medway tunnel under any future Conservative administration.'

Not only is this a direct contradiction to the assertions of Councillor Jarrett but it is so explicit it makes a mockery, out of all the promises put before residents in Rochester.

Residents across Medway are beginning to see through the expensive leaflets and Cashcroft funded veneer. They can see the sheer and utter incompetence after project after programme are mismanaged and botched.

The promise for no tolls in the future was also made explicit in the '100% Guarantee' to River Ward voters in their election leaflet distributed in February 2011.

Meanwhile our local MP Mark Reckless has distanced himself from the campaign over the Tunnel after it has become clear that the government has no intention of taking ownership.

In a blog piece from 11 November 2010 he invited the Transport Minister Norman Baker to visit the Tunnel and even had the ordacity to state that

'he was very pleased how the coalition government and, in conjunction with what other Councillors are doing locally to convince Ministers to visit the site.'

As is yet the Department for Transport has rebuffed our Medway MPs on the Tunnel. Ineffective on transport as standard so we get the silent treatment.

Distancing, but why?

Cllrs' Mark Reckless and Rehman Chisthi of course supported the purchase of the tunnel in the first place as Councillors so they are worried that any potential toll will damage. Believe me,

Any toll will be a Reckless one.

Tory Tunnel noose around tax payer necks

The potential for a Tory Tunnel Toll this week took a turn for the worst as it was revealed to the public what we all suspected since the dodgy deal, negotiated behind closed doors, and whilst Cllr Chamber's was lead warden at the Rochester Bridge Trust, that it was a shabby deal and not in the interests of Medway residents.

The Tories negotiated a deal which took a poorly maintained 'liability' off the books of the asset-rich and wealthy Rochester Bridge Trust onto the Council books for a one off payment of £3.6m.

I have an interest in the Tunnel because its purchase and subsequent legacy go to the very heart of our Conservative regime in Gun Wharf and future operating revenue for subsequent administrations; both Labour & Conservative.

It is also symbolic of the machinations, hyper-partisan buck passing and failure to grasp basic financial and political realities which summarise our current political leadership in the corridors of Gun Wharf.

So what is new?

Revealed in this Medway Messenger exclusive; it is now clear that the money for the tunnel is running out and quicker then expected. The original grant of £3.6m on annualised expenditure of £450,000 (calculated by RBT) has since doubled due to the shabby maintenance of the infrastructure prior to the Council purchase. As it stands the 7-8 year grant will now likely run out by 2012/13. Only three/four years after the purchase.

This proves that not only was the asset purchase absolute lunacy in financial terms, but the increase in repair bills highlights the total lack of work previously undertaken by the RBT, or perhaps the mistaken understanding of the Council of the liability it had purchased on behalf of Medway taxpayers.

Cllr Jarrett cites the erroneous assertion that the Council had to purchase the Tunnel but this is not true; because it ignores the fact that if the RBT had just withdrawn from Tunnel maintenance they could have been subject to legal action and would probably have lost given their constitutional obligation.

In addition, Cllr Jarrett and Chambers claim they were not involved in discussions over the sale but yet remained in post despite the perception of a conflict of interest which at the time was perceived very poorly indeed.

And what of government ownership?

Part of the justification for the purchase in 2009 was that the election of Conservative MPs and government would result in the movement of the tunnel onto the government books. So absolving Medway Council of all responsibility

It is now clear that the argument at the time was totally spurious and that a government purchase of the Tunnel is now not expected. Indeed, according to Cllr Jarrett "we will keep banging away at that one... but it might not be fruitful"

It is clear that this option is now not feasible which was not revealed to residents in 2009. This position has changed.

So what of the toll?

Medway Labour opposed the original purchase of the Tunnel because we believed the Tories at the time would have had to raise income via a toll, or via cuts to local services. This fact has not changed.

The Tories nevertheless ignored local opinion and purchased the tunnel.

I specifically asked Conservative Cabinet members about ruling out a future toll and at no point have they ruled it out. That is a de-facto Conservative Party endorsement of a future toll for residents used to Conservative buck-passing on transport locally.

Only the most idiotic of Conservatives could claim that the movement towards a toll was a Labour idea. It is an idea they endorsed as soon as they agreed the asset purchased, and they were fully aware of our opposition on the purchase of the tunnel.

In addition, and most concerning, is that the Conservative government has endorsed the idea of road tolling and private road ownership with tolls. In an article for The Telegraph in 2009; David Cameron stated:

“We’ve said we’re happy to look at road tolls. I don’t think that the eye in the sky big government scheme they [Labour] were planning was going to work, but separate road tolls...

“You know if you look at the one road toll that has been built – the Birmingham Relief Road – great success, a Conservative idea."

The simple fact is that this Tunnel was purchased by the Medway Conservatives in a shabby deal which has not benefited the tax payer of Medway. Buck-passing and blame from leading Conservatives will not work and Labour will oppose any Medway Conservative toll

Toll too far

Dartford Tolls

Another day goes by and another Conservative promise broken. First it was train fares, then the Estuary Airport proposal [which is still being considered], and now the transport triple whammy; the Dartford Toll.

Motorists in Medway are currently being hit. Not only has the Tory increase to VAT led to a hike in the price of fuel,but this year will see the charge to use the Dartford Crossing increase to £2 and then go up further to £2.50 in 2012. This increase will hit thousands of motorists and businesses which use the Dartford Crossing daily.

We all know Conservative PPCs jumped on a number of bandwagons before the General Election, but to the extent that nearly every campaign on transport has resulted in the exact opposite once in government simply beggars belief. It has been one u-turn after another.

Convenient also that the Dartford Toll announcement came on the same day that strikes were dominating the local media.

Tory CCHQ has learnt a few things on media managemet.

A few constituents will be interested to read what Tracey Crouch MP said about the Dartford Toll before her election, and given this was a major campaign issue I hope that the MP stands up with some vigour and tone, against this toll increase; after all in her own words and on multiple occassions

Breaking News is Bad for Kent Commuters - Sunday 11th October 2009

Dartford Crossing - response from Government - Friday 27th March 2009

My Dartford Campaign is mentioned in Parliament - Tuesday 18th December 2008

Scrap Dartford Toll Crossing Charges - Monday 15th December 2008

The very major fear of Medway residents is that we now have a Conservative government hell-bent on tolls and local Medway Conservative Councillors saddled with huge costs for the Medway Tunnel, with a miserely contribution from the Rochester Bridge Trust

We all know Tories will be looking at the potential for a toll on the Medway Tunnel and the fear is that with Cllr Jarrett citing 'other income sources' that this issue is on the table

How long before the Tories introduce a toll on the Medway Tunnel because of the botched purchase?

Tory Tunnel Legacy

Medway Conservatives may treat the public as idiots but the blame for the Medway Tunnel purchase and its legacy is squarely on the shoulders of the ruling Conservative Group.

Labour opposed the Tunnel purchase and warned (see above video) of the potential legacy on the tax payer books.

Councillor Chambers and the Conservative front-bench ignored all public opinion and irresponsibly purchased the tunnel. Conservative Councillors voted to support the purchase.

Perhaps the Tory press release has totally ignored the actions of its own Councillor ranks. In the haste to attack Labour they forget that Mark Reckless MP has understood the potential liability on the tunnel during their own period in office, and has tried to secure a purchase by the Department of Transport which has thus far failed.

The Medway Labour position on the tunnel was highlighted in the General Election. Labour has consistently opposed the purchase because of the fear of a Conservative toll. The Tories purchased the tunnel which has therefore created the toll risk because they do not have short-medium funding from the Rochester Bridge Trust beyond the original donation.

It is a simple A = B.

Press statements on the matter:

'Medway Tunnel Fiasco' - Rochester & Strood Labour Press statement

'Medway Tory Tax Bomb' - Strood Labour

'Medway Tory Tax Bomb' - Chatham Labour

'Medway Tory Tax Bomb' - Gillingham Labour

'Labour put the Tunnel back on the agenda' - Medway Labour

So why have the Tories waited until now to bring this topic up?

They are have said nothing until now because they know there is a local election and they are desperate for votes.

And more importantly ladies and gents, they have seen the budget figures which confirms the Labour Party was totally correct to oppose it.

p.s. Also this issue deliberately attacks Councillor Chambers because he negotiated the agreement. Convenient the first person to put up the press release was Rainham Central Conservatives...

Medway Tunnel revisited

Road tolling. Happen in Medway?

It is not quite Brideshead Revisited but it does have a parody story-line with betrayal, scheming and Conservative revisionism embedded within.

The tale of the Medway Tunnel is a sordid affair. Like a Dickensian novel with old traditionalist protagonists, this is something which has the potential to damage and inflict terrible pain on future Council services and the car driver or commuter of Medway. It is a very real legacy of conservative back-room committee style politics that so permeated local government for decades.

The Medway Tunnel was bought by the local authority for a nominal sum of £1 in 2008.

At the time, the Medway Conservative Council said members voted to buy the freehold from the Rochester Bridge Trust to "safeguard the future of road transport" in the area. This despite the fact the Rochester Bridge Trust has millions of assets and was responsible in its own rule-book for managing the tunnel for its serviceable lifetime

The Conservative-controlled authority said the decision would give them greater freedom to manage it. The trust gave the council a £3.6m one-off payment towards the upkeep of the 12-year-old structure, on the A289 near Rochester. It also gave it responsibility for all liabilities.

The Tunnel was purchased by the Medway Conservative Council, rubber stamped by its administration, after the Rochester Bridge Trust wardens agreed to sell the Tunnel with a sizeable donation to the Council for its upkeep.

At the time the Medway Labour Group opposed the purchase of the tunnel and deployed the following reasons

i) That the Tunnel has a mixed safety record and that the cost of liabilities should be fully reviewed before going ahead with the purchase. In 2006, safety standards in the structure were rated "very poor" and it was placed 43rd out of 52 European tunnels in a survey by the AA

ii) That there is an inherent conflict of interest that Cllr Chambers was also the Conservative Leader of the Council and was also Senior Warden of the Bridge Trust from 2007 - 2009. He was therefore responsible for the Medway Tunnel and its standard before hand-over.

iii) That the contribution from the Rochester Bridge Trust negotiated by the Medway Conservative administration was disgraceful and was a gross abdication of responsibility to the Council tax payer.

iv) That £3.6m will not cover the liability or full cost of the Tunnel and was a miserly one off payment negotiated poorly and without transparency. Full details of conversations surrounding the Tunnel are not in the public domain.

Some may squirm at the prospect of full transparency but the fact is this is not a small sum of money and its potential legacy is devastating on the budgets of future Labour and Conservative administrations. If the government were not to take ownership, a future Council would be expected to raise cash itself to fund the structure, which at that point would require significant maintenance.

The Conservative administration has left Medway a potential terrible legacy. Negotiated behind closed-doors and without transparency, this poor deal will leave the Council in a very unfortunate situation. They will be forced to find an income stream to fund the tunnel. This will come out of local services and/or could be raised from measures such as a toll.

This would be a massive blow to thousands of commuters who rely on the Tunnel every day.

Conservative MPs are right to press for government ownership of the Tunnel and they are right to do so now. The worrying fact is that the government of course has no obligation to purchase the tunnel at all, and in times of cuts and austerity they will be aware of its liability on their own budgets.

In addition, government will be fully aware that Medway Conservatives negotiated themselves a miserly buffer of 5-10 years, so they are very much within their rights to say it was a Medway Council deal; 'Your mess, clear it.'

It is however a great pity that at the time of the purchase all three Conservative PPCs sat on their proverbial hands, said and did absolutely nothing. They abdicated responsibility.

Medway Labour will continue to raise this issue because of the future concerns on budgets. Once in office we will be utterly transparent around the costs of the tunnel that were negotiated by Rodney Chambers and the Medway Conservatives. This legacy is there's and we will remind people of this fact.

Medway Labour will also work to move the Tunnel onto the government books as has been stated on record and will work with any that seek this objective.

The purchase of the tunnel stinks. It stinks of back-room deals, it stinks of poorly negotiated contributions, it stinks of liabilities being deliberately moved onto the Council tax-payer books. It stinks that not one Conservative at the time opposed the deal in public.

If it does move into the government books then future Councillors can relax.

If it does not, it could form an issue which will set the local political agenda for the next twenty years.

Mark Reckless MP can see this, and he can see this now. Pity he did not say this in 2008.