Local residents have a right to know the true level of public spending

Don't' you agree that all of us have the right to know the true level of public spending in Harlow in Epping? Is there not a greater need for open Government?

That is why I have urged that Gordon Brown stops dragging his feet over a new law which requires the Government to tell us how much taxpayers' money is spent in Harlow and Epping Forest, and in every other part of the country.

What is really astonishing, is that in Parliament on 28 October, Labour MPs actually voted against a motion calling for more openness on public spending.(Bill Rammell abstained - or wasn't in the Commons to vote).

The new law, The Sustainable Communities Act 2007, was introduced by a Conservative MP and passed by Parliament with wide cross-community support from local and national organisations.

I strongly believe that it could help fix Britain's broken politics - by giving local people the power to decide how their cash is spent in their area, and requiring a regular breakdown of spending by central government departments and quangos in new 'Local Spending Reports'.

The reality is that more and more taxpayers' money is being spent by unelected quangos. A new report published on 26 October by the Taxpayers' Alliance has revealed that quangos now spend an astonishing £90 billion a year - equivalent to £3,640 a year for every household across Harlow and Epping Forest.

Amazingly, Labour Ministers have been trying to water down the new law. They initially only wanted to publish spending by councils and NHS Primary Care Trusts - facts already in the public domain. Further information will only be "developed over time".

But this is not good enough. Conservative plans callfor greater openness and accountability, and pledge to:

* Use the Sustainable Communities Act to publish detailed Local Spending Reports including central government and quangos, and devolve more power to local communities.

* Require Harlow and Epping Forest district councils to publish online figures for all expenditure on goods and services over £500, as is already being piloted by Windsor and Maidenhead Council.

It's time for the Government to show us the money - and tell Harlow, Hastingwoode, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering residents how much of their money is actually spent in our area.

Gordon Brown wants to stop local people finding out that they get a raw deal from his Government, and conceal that his unelected quangocrats spend almost £4,000 a year per household in our area with little or no say for local people.

Local communities deserve a far greater say on how their money is spent. It's time for change. We need a Conservative Government that believes in openness and transparency. Its time give power back to local people.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device