Cllr Chris Stanbra, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats at County Hall, has attacked the Conservatives financial management in Northamptonshire in a letter published in the local press.
Cllr Stanbra wrote:
“It is not often in politics that you find senior Councillors criticising their own colleagues, and agreeing with the view of the opposition. However, Cllr Palethorpe, the recently deposed Conservative Leader at Northampton Borough Council did this last week. Referring to his Conservative colleagues at the County Council he wrote “Woe betide anyone who actually questions or exposes their weak leadership and management which has led to the need for them to make swingeing cuts to essential services over the next three years”
On those very cuts Cllr Palethorpe continued and said “It is undeniable however that it is also down to a County Council failure to manage their income and expenditure for political reasons who are now because of the recession in the position of being in economic meltdown, and it will be the people who have to take the brunt of at least 6 years of incompetence”
The Liberal Democrats welcome the transparency and openness from such a senior local Conservative as Cllr Palethorpe. Over the last year the Liberal Democrat Opposition at County Hall has repeatedly argued that the cuts to frontline services, such as streetlighting, support for the elderly, vulnerable and disabled, and the voluntary sector are avoidable, and are the result of years of Tory financial mismanagement in Northamptonshire. Certainly the Conservative record is poor – the botched school sites sale deal, the £32m Carillion contract disaster and the black hole that grew to £20m in their last budget all point to a record of financial incompetence.
The Liberal Democrats proposed an alternative budget that would have saved money from the back offices and kept lights in urban areas on, buses running, libraries safe from threats, lollipop ladies on patrol and the voluntary sector supported to help the most vulnerable. Sadly the Conservatives arrogantly refused to listen and pretended it was all the fault of the Government. Northamptonshire Conservatives had a choice about how to save money, and took the wrong path. If the Conservative administration at County Hall will not listen to the Official Opposition, perhaps they will listen to their own Conservative colleagues.
Cllr Chris Stanbra
Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrat Official Opposition
Danesholme Division
Northamptonshire County Council”
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