The Fib List: 6-7

By Richard Watts / @richardwatts01

Yesterday we introduced the “Fib List” – our attempt to keep tabs on coalition untruths. You can contribute your own suggestions to the Fib List here. Today we bring you the latest installment…

6) The local Government funding settlement is ‘progressive’

As the government announced massive cuts to council funding last week local government secretary Eric Pickles claimed in the commons:

“This will be a progressive settlement, ensuring fairness between different parts of the country.”

Simon Hughes assumed the familiar Lib Dem position of human shield and went further, saying:

“Poorer areas of the country which are more dependent on central government have been protected.”

All fibs, fibs, fibs.

The reality is that councils in poorer areas like Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Hackney and Islington have been viciously cut while councils like Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Richmond-upon-Thames have been lightly scraped. This follows the pattern of the government’s spending cuts for councils following the “emergency” budget in June where in London deprived Hackney and Islington were cut 400% more than affluent Sutton and Richmond.

7) No VAT increase in first budget

In the week that the VAT rise has hit the Lib Dems have come in for a lot of criticism for their election poster criticising the Tories for planning to raise VAT. It is often forgotten that, in response, David Cameron said this:

“We have absolutely no plans to raise VAT. Our first budget is all about recognising we need to get spending under control rather than putting up tax.”

The New Statesman spells out the full and gory details for this fib.

Have you spotted a fib from either of the coalition parties? Did your MP make a promise they haven’t kept? Heard something that didn’t add up? Contact us, and we’ll add it to the “Fib List”.