by political editor Paul Francis

Prime Minister David Cameron has backed our campaign to speak up for Kent’s hard-pressed motorists and rail travellers, saying he wants to help reduce the financial burden they are under.

Speaking on an election campaign visit to Gravesend and Maidstone yesterday, Mr Cameron acknowledged that high fuel prices and train fares were causing difficulties for Kent commuters.

"I do understand. There are lots of people in Kent who have to commute and use the car and get stuck in terrible traffic. This is a government that understands and wants to help. In the budget, we did put serious fire power behind trying to keep petrol and diesel prices down; they would be six pence a litre higher were it not for the action we took," he said.

He added that delaying the planned inflation increase, along with scrapping the fuel escalator and cutting duty were "big steps forward."

"I recognise that motoring is very expensive and rail fares are expensive. But we are determined to put the investment into railways; that is why we are going ahead with Crossrail and the Thameslink improvements; they are important for the whole of the south east and will make improvements."

The KM Group is campaigning to highlight the difficulties facing motorists, businesses and rail passengers as prices rise.

Mr Cameron rejected suggestions that councils in Kent were having to cut spending on key frontline services but accepted local government was sharing the burden of dealing with the national deficit.

In a speech to an invited audience of MPs, activists and council candidates at Maidstone’s New Line Learning Academy, the Conservative leader said Kent councils under his party’s control were trimming budgets without damaging key services.

"Yes, they’ve faced some incredibly tough decisions and like every council they’ve got to work harder than ever to deliver more for less. But by cutting back office, sharing services, slashing waste, they’re making millions of savings this year and freezing council tax.

"Medway is halving its annual payment to trade unions - saving local taxpayers almost £50,000…so at the same time, in the face of those budget cuts, they’re not closing a single leisure centre or library.

"Gravesham are sharing a Chief Executive with Tonbridge and Malling, saving each council more than £50,000 and they are running a balanced budget without having to make any compulsory redundancies. And in Maidstone they have slimmed down their top management team while protecting frontline services."

Labour dismissed Mr Cameron’s visit.

Kent county council opposition Labour Leader Les Christie said: "It's a shame David Cameron did not stick around in Kent long enough to explain to local people the axing of 1,500 police jobs in the county, the slashing of local services and the pressure his Government is putting on ordinary people and families."

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