- Local: area committees to take services closer to people at the most local level, especially through parish and town councils;
- Greener: more recycling and environmental measures;
- Fairer: in the availability and charging for services, including council tax;
- Flatter hierarchy within the council, focusing on service delivery;
- More affordable housing for local people, tackling homelessness
Given that the recent elections produced, again, a split in the number of council seats held by the different parties and no overall control by any one party or group, it is our belief that this demonstrates that people want the parties to work together.
Our priorities formed the basis of our attempts to negotiate with the other groups (except the BNP). We were therefore appalled when we discovered that the Tories and Labour had done a deal for which the only rationale was to exclude us from any positions in council other than those which are allocated to us in the constitution (ie, our proportionate share of the seats on scrutiny panels).
This became clear during the day, as the Tories and Labour solidly voted together in a block to put themselves into every position.
I am therefore bemused to read that Coun Tom McElroy says that they will “hold the Conservatives to account” by chairing all the committees (and he didn’t say that in council). How can they when they only gained those positions because the Tories gave them to them?
I can’t believe that the Tories would have done so if they thought that Labour would closely scrutinise their actions.
We hope that people who voted Labour will remember that the Labour group has put the Conservatives into cabinet and if they voted Conservative that the Conservatives have promoted the Labour group. We will remind everybody at every opportunity when we critically scrutinise the activities of both groups in the coming year.
Nonetheless, we in the Lib Dem group will continue, as we always have done, to consult and represent local people, working our policies and priorities through, doing our best to ensure that the people of Calderdale get the services they need and deserve.
