Press Release 15 May 2007

 

Conservatives will work in the best interest of the people

Conservatives have been considering the best way forward now we have a hung Council.  We would have happily worked with the Independents to continue running the Council but this has proven impossible. On the other hand we do not feel there is any basis for trust or integrity to form a working alliance with the Liberal Democrat Group.  

We have to ask why Cllr Henley is so anxious to work with the other parties now he is the Leader of the Council when he has spent the last 4 years opposing their every suggestion. Cllr John Williams asks, “Why doesn’t he just get on and form his administration instead of dithering as he is? Or is this going to be symptomatic of his leadership style?”

Liberal Democrats deceived tenants of Taunton Deane by actively campaigning for a “no vote” to the council housing transfer – resulting in more than £4.5 million this year alone being needlessly given, by the tenants directly from their rent payments, to the government to be spent elsewhere.   The investigation the Council carried out did cost £800,000, but what an investment this would have been.  Tenants would have had over £6.66 million more to spend on their homes this year.

Cllr Williams says, “For this and many other reasons we feel we should keep the clear distinction between the two functions members are responsible for at the council, i.e. those of administration and scrutiny. I assure the electorate that the Conservative Group will be constructive and supportive in opposition for the benefit of the community and will help all we can, but when necessary we will ensure the Liberal Democrat administration is held to account.”

In the spirit of cooperation we have offered to work with the Liberal Democrats on an alternate yearly basis to be the Council administration and are waiting for their response. This has the benefit of each group being clearly responsible for the decisions during their year in office, not the blurring that would occur in some form of coalition.

Conservatives generated huge efficiency savings during the past 4 years, enabling the Council to deliver services more effectively and economically and set in motion great projects for the future such as Project Taunton, Improving Services in Somerset, affordable housing, the Handyman Service and Somerset Waste Partnership to name just a few.  We will work hard to ensure these stay on track to the benefit of the community we all serve.