Tories quit power share

The six-year alliance between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in Cannock Chase dramatically collapsed today after a clash over council tax.

The Tory group leader Councillor John Jillings, who quit the cabinet yesterday, confirmed to the Express & Star today: "We have pulled out of the alliance with the Liberal Democrats."

The Tories will now put forward an alternative budget with a council tax increase of 2.5 per cent.

"It will be beneficial for the people of Cannock Chase. We feel we can't carry on working with the Liberal Democrats," he said.

Councillor Jillings said the decision to pull out of the alliance had been taken at a meeting of the Tory group last night.

The group felt it could no longer support the Liberal Democrat leadership after no agreement could be reached about the level of council tax for the forthcoming year.

The Lib Dem's have asked for a 3.8 per cent increase for taxpayers, whilst the Conservative group have proposed an alternative budget, which would save taxpayers £244,000 by only raising council tax by 2.5 percent, plus restoring free bus travel for the elderly.