30 April 2008
Don’t let other people choose your local services, says the WLGA as it urges everyone to vote in Thursday’s (1st May 2008) council elections.
Steve Thomas, WLGA Chief Executive said:
“This is a chance for people to have a real say on what happens locally. If your services are good and you want to retain them or if you are concerned about the way they are run, this is your chance to have a say.”
“Most people shop around when choosing new car insurance or an electricity provider, yet for some reason, too many people seem content to stay at home and let other people choose what local services they will receive. Would you let your neighbour decide which telephone or gas company you should use? Probably not, so why let them decide who’ll run all the other everyday services you use. At the end of the day, they’ll effectively be deciding who should set your council tax bills too.”
“Councils provide schools for our children and social services for our most vulnerable, they provide and run parks and leisure centres, libraries, public transport, street cleansing, waste collection and recycling; they are responsible for planning and for providing much of our public infrastructure, from roads to street lighting; they tackle graffiti and anti-social behaviour, they look after consumers’ rights ensuring you don’t get sold faulty goods or get sold short…the list goes on’.
“Everyone cares about their family, friends and their local community; everyone should therefore vote as councils have the biggest impact on those key services that affect them.”
“Wales has a proud history of democracy and politics. If people don’t have a sense of duty to those who have fought for our right to vote, then they should at least have a sense of duty to themselves, their families and their local community; a duty to make sure that they take part and have a say on who delivers what services for them and their local community.”
Ends
For more information contact: Daniel Hurford