Over the last few months, the Lib Dems have been repeatedly attacked by Stockport Conservatives over the level of Council Tax.

The Conservatives say it’s too high and want a tax freeze.  Fair enough – I’d like Council Tax to be lower too, but to do that you’ve got to say what you’ll cut.

The Council would need an additional £5 million in cuts to freeze council tax.  So far, the Conservative “fully costed” plan is to get a few hundred thousand by reducing the communications budget.  OK, so what about the other £4+ million?  Doesn’t sound fully costed to me.

Stockport is already the lowest spending borough in Greater Manchester.  Lower spending that Conservative Controlled Trafford and Bury.  So where would the axe fall to freeze council tax or make the even bigger cuts the Tories have called for?

Cutting the roads budget is an obvious one – it’s what some other Tory-controlled councils are doing.  We could save money by repairing fewer potholes and pavements, but people tell us they want them fixed.

A Council Tax freeze would save residents less than £50 a year.  In contrast, Nick Clegg’s plans to make the first £10,000 of our income tax free would see most people better off to the tune of £700 – a working couple would be £1400 better off.  And that’s fully costed – the Lib Dems have said exactly how it would be paid for.

So which is it to be?  A Conservative promise of tax cuts if £50  with no idea how they’ll be paid for, or the fully-costed Lib Dem plan to put £700 in your pocket?