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NO OVERALL CONTROL = NO OVERALL DIRECTION FOR WARWICKSHIRE

Liberal Democrat county councillors have slammed a deal done behind closed doors between the Conservative and Labour groups on Warwickshire County Council, which has resulted in the Conservatives taking minority control of the Council while Labour has grabbed all the key committee chair roles.

The elections on 2nd May had left the Council in No Overall Control, with Conservatives the largest political group but well short of an overall majority.

Recognising that no one political group had a democratic mandate from Warwickshire voters, the Liberal Democrats had proposed a “rainbow coalition” administration drawn from the three main political groups, working to a jointly agreed programme to address the huge challenges facing the County Council over the next four years.

However, the Liberal Democrat proposal was voted down by an alliance of Conservative and Labour members. Instead, Labour chose to abstain on the Conservative proposal, allowing the formation of a minority administration with a Conservative-only Cabinet. History is repeating itself – Labour did exactly the same in 2009 to let the Conservatives push through their budget in the face of Liberal Democrat opposition!

What has Labour gained from this unholy alliance? They’ve been allowed to take all the chairs’ roles on all the key committees, an even more undemocratic outcome than the last time a similar situation arose in 2005, when at least the chairs’ roles were shared proportionately between the main opposition groups.

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said:

“This Tory/Labour deal is bad for Warwickshire, and does not reflect the democratic will of voters. The County is left with a weak, minority administration, at a time when it faces huge challenges and needs to take important decisions to shape a long-term sustainable future.

“The Conservatives will have to negotiate issue-by-issue with the other parties in order to get anything done. Between them, the Tories and Labour have ensured that No Overall Control has become No Overall Direction for Warwickshire"

Lib Dems condemn 40% budget cuts for Children’s Centres

April 27, 2013 5:36 PM

childrens centreLiberal Democrat county councillors have condemned cuts of up to 40% in Children's Centre budgets planned for next year by the current Conservative administration - not only the severity of the cuts themselves, but also the way the news of them has been handled. After the planned cuts were reported in a local newspaper this week, the Conservative Leader of the Council issued a hurried briefing note on the matter to all elected members late on Friday afternoon.

Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Eastlands & Hillmorton) said:

"There was no general briefing of elected county councillors, nor any opportunity to debate the scale and nature of these cuts, before they were announced to the management committees of individual Children's Centres. The Conservatives appear to be trying to rush them through while everyone is occupied with the current county election campaign, in the hope that residents will not notice until it's too late."

Lib Dem Children & Young People Spokesperson Cllr Clive Rickhards (Studley) said:

"The Lib Dem manifesto for the county council elections put a high priority on the role of Children's Centres. The budget cuts planned by the Conservatives are totally unsustainable. How can our Children's Centres survive such drastic surgery? Lib Dem councillors will fight to halt these cuts while an urgent review of alternative options is carried out. We all know that there are major funding problems to be grappled with by the new County Council, but it needs new leadership and new ideas to find the way to a sustainable future for our Children's Centres."
 
Transforming Warwickshire and unlocking the potential of its communities

Click Here for the Warwickshire Liberal Democrats Manifesto for the
County Council Elections, May 2013
Stratford upon Avon A3400 Birmingham Road Traffic Management Study

Click Here for a copy of the Executive Summary of the Study

The report suggests kerbside detectors on pedestrian crossings,
at a cost of up to £5,000.

The detectors can vary the green crossing times
to match the pedestrian flow.
It’s an opinion poll. Do you think
the Conservatives’ handling of
planning in the district is a
shambles, a complete shambles or
an utter shambles?
WHAT THE
PAPERS SAY
This [the Shottery verdict]
will trigger an almighty
political row because the
opposition Liberal
Democrats on the council
have been repeatedly
critical of the ruling
Conservatives for taking
so long to complete the
district’s core planning
strategy.
Stratford Herald website
25th October
‘Planning decisions in
Stratford district take
longer to decide than
anywhere else in the
country’.
Stratford Observer, front
page story, November
2nd 2012
DISTRICT
FACES TORY
PLANNING
SHAMBLES
Council’s planning Core Strategy is three years late - still no date for completion
Over £500,000 of your money spent on outside consultants - and more to come!
Rated ‘worst council in the country’ for planning delays
 
25th October 2012
SHOTTERY GETS GO AHEAD

WHAT HAVE THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DONE FOR YOU

FURTHER INFORMATION ON CURRENT LOCAL TOPICS

If you would like more information on the subjects shown please click on the appropriate message to download it as a pdf
 

The Liberal Democrat vision is for a district that respects our heritage and environment, that is prosperous, encourages business and creates opportunities for all our residents.

We look for a district where all our residents can flourish and feel engaged in the process of making the decisions that affect our futures.

Above all, we recognise that as councillors we are here to reflect the wishes of our residents and it is their needs and ambitions that will shape all that we do.

Cllr Richard Cheney
Lib Dem leader on the district council.

Click Here for a full copy of the 2012 Manifesto

     
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Published and promoted by Peter Moorse on behalf of Stratford and South Warwickshire Liberal Democrats, all at 55 Ely Street Stratford CV37 6LN.

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