County Hall Tories Empire-Build while Cameron Warns of Cuts to Come (Bridgwater and West Somerset Liberal Democrats)

Bridgwater and West Somerset Liberal Democrats <info@bawslibdems.org.uk>

County Hall Tories Empire-Build while Cameron Warns of Cuts to Come

November 25, 2009 12:03 PM
Originally published by Somerset Liberal Democrat Group

Under a new proposal by Conservative-run Somerset County Council, the new Tory Cabinet will be taking £300,000 from vital services to help them do the job.

Commenting on the move, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Jill Shortland said....

"For the new cabinet members to even consider a four-fold increase in their support staff at a time when even party leader David Cameron is warning of severe cuts to services is truly amazing.

The previous Lib Dem administration operated perfectly well without these "assistants" and certainly without a whole office dedicated to them and the Chief Executive.

"The new posts to be created, Head of Cabinet Office, three Cabinet Advisers, a Cabinet Business Manager and an admin assistant sound more appropriate to Westminster than Taunton and smack of delusions of grandeur.

There is also a worrying overlap in the proposal between the political interests of a few councillors and the essential professional objectivity and neutrality of officers.

The proposal states that the Head of Cabinet Office, in addition to providing 'effective and efficient policy and business support to the (elected) Leader and Cabinet members' will provide the same services to the council's unelected Chief Executive.

What, no distinction at all between them?

"Aside from the basic issues of principle involved, is it in the best interest of Somerset people to spend a projected £300,000 in this way at a time when cutbacks to services are in the pipeline, including the PCSOs still on the table. Here we go again! The same old Tories - completely out of touch with reality."

ENDS