*Press Statement from Windsor and Maidenhead Conservatives*
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) faces financial disaster under the Liberal Democrat-led administration. Having overspent by over £12 million this year, depleted reserves, failed to deliver planned savings, and hidden behind escalating accounting discrepancies, the Council is on the brink of bankruptcy. The Chief Financial Officer has abruptly left without explanation, leaving questions about the Council's ability to navigate the crisis.
Maureen Hunt, Leader of the Conservative Group, stated:
"Residents of RBWM deserve better than the chaos we are seeing from this administration. Running a council requires strong financial management, tough decisions, and a focus on serving the people—not excuses, blame and misdirection. The Liberal Democrats have failed in their duty to taxpayers, and the consequences will be felt by families and businesses across the borough.
Under Liberal Democrat control, fiscal discipline has collapsed, and it’s the residents who will pay the price with tax increases.”
A Stark Contrast to Conservative Leadership:
Over the 16 years that the Royal Borough was led by the Conservatives we prided ourselves on delivering value for money services.
We kept Council tax to a minimum saving residents thousands of pounds and supporting our local economy. The Conservatives delivered year after year of balanced budgets and healthy rising reserves. In 2022, a resident survey reflected widespread satisfaction with council services under Conservative governance.
Eighteen Months of Liberal Democrat Mismanagement:
Since taking control in May 2023, the Liberal Democrat administration has plunged the Council into financial chaos
- • Massive Overspending: Accumulated over £12 million of unplanned expenditure projected this year.
- • Failed Development: Delayed and wasteful handling of council-owned assets, such as Maidenhead Golf Club, sabotaging well-developed Conservative plans which would have repaid council debt.
- • Service Failures: Overspending on adult and child services, paired with poor contract management, has resulted in a sharp rise in resident complaints.
It’s clear when the LibDems gained control they didn’t get on top of the numbers quickly enough and didn’t act on the briefings they received from officers. The Spending Control Panel was delayed for 6 months and the transformation programme by nearly a year.
Council Tax Hike Looms:
Now the Liberal Democrat coalition cabinet have gone cap in hand to this high-taxing Labour Government asking them for exceptional powers to increase each households council tax by in the region of potentially twenty percent. For an average household that will be around £300 a year, with others paying much more.
Calls for a Recovery Plan:
Last month, the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) was brought in to assess the situation. While acknowledging the challenges, CIPFA emphasized the urgent need for “a prioritized immediate recovery plan for 2024/25,” warning that such a plan is essential for financial stability.
Despite this, the Liberal Democrat administration has failed to even discuss that plan in Council. Instead of offering solutions and a positive way forwards, they deflect blame onto accounting errors—errors which have ballooned from £16 million to £25 million in one week. While these discrepancies require investigation, the Council are still elected to govern, not hide behind them. It is the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer and senior directorate to produce accurate accounts, not Conservative Councillors!
The Liberal Democrat administration and their Independent coalition partners have failed taxpayers. Their mismanagement has steered the ship onto the rocks, leaving residents and businesses to suffer the consequences.
The Conservative Group is urging the Liberal Democrat leadership to present a transparent, robust plan immediately to stabilise the council’s finances and safeguard essential services.
