In nearly 30 years of listening to annual budget speeches, I don’t think I have ever witnessed such a gap between the stark reality of performance against the self-congratulatory tone adopted by the Tory leader of New Forest District Council, Barry Rickman, this year.

You would have thought that his praise for staff, who he refuses to pay a living wage, was genuine.

They have one of the worst records in Hampshire for recycling. The Tory answer to a growing waiting list for housing has been to make it harder to get on the list.

We are still paying off the debts from the £300,000 slippery floor fiasco. Public toilets? Bulldozing them.

Car parks that are empty with a £5 a day charge.

The worst performing council in the country when it comes to prosecuting people for allowing dogs to foul public places.

Withdrawn all funding for Age Concern lunch clubs.

I think people are sickened by their decision to keep all 60 councillors, at a time when staff numbers have been drastically reduced and services cut.

People voted Conservative in the past because they believed them to be good with finance. They have been badly let down.

Councillor David Harrison, New Forest Liberal Democrats.