SPENDING plans for Harrow set out in a draft budget are 'without substance', opposition Conservative councillors claim.
Leading Tories say savings proposed by Labour for 2011/12 are simply 'salami slicing', reducing individual budgets bit by bit, rather than the wholesale radical changes needed to curb spending.
And opposition leader Councillor Susan Hall (pictured) said the budget is based on the wrong underlying economic assumptions, therefore considering various ways to save money is 'like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic'.
Conservative group deputy leader Councillor Paul Osborn said: "You're not fooling anyone by saying inflation is two per cent.
"The governor of the Bank of England is talking about five per cent and commercial forecasts for banks is four per cent next year, so that's an extra £2million saving you need to find if you're wrong and have to cover the difference. Each £1m extra in inflationary costs is equivalent to a one per cent increase in council tax."
Mr Osborn and Ms Hall also said it was a mistake not to plough extra money into adult social services during the next four years to cope with an ageing population.
Council leader Bill Stephenson (Labour) declined to comment until full budget papers are published today (Thursday), ahead of next week's cabinet committee meeting on the matter.
The Conservatives spoke out after receiving background papers to the budget that explain the implications of each proposed cut or investment.
However, a request made under the Freedom of Information Act for another set of confidential documents related to the budget was refused, so they have appealed to the Information Commissioner's Office.
