Cheltenham Labour Party has criticised an election leaflet issued by Cheltenham Conservatives as,
“Misleading at best and gross hypocrisy at worst.”

The leaflet, circulated to homes in Cheltenham, in the first week of March, calls for an “end to the £4m parking rip-off,” in Cheltenham, and claims that a “Conservative council would slash parking charges.”

Yet in the same week, the Conservative run Gloucestershire County Council (which is responsible for on-street parking in Cheltenham, and the Arle Court Park and Ride), published their decision to increase parking charges by 3% in Cheltenham from 6 April. This is only months after the previous 3% increase that they had already imposed in September 2020.

Robert Arnott – Secretary of Cheltenham Labour Party
“This leaflet is a clear reflection on how far the Conservative Party has shifted away from honesty in politics, at local as well as at national level.”

 

Julie Farmer – Chair of Cheltenham Labour Party
“The biggest parking scandal is that hospital workers have to pay to park their cars when they go to work. If the Tories really cared about NHS workers, they would do something about that. The leaflet says, “At the next Council election, vote for change.” I hope electors will do just that and vote Labour.’’