Leader's Report October (Norfolk County Council Liberal Democrats)

Norfolk County Council Liberal Democrats <info@norfolkcclibdems.org.uk>

Leader's Report October

October 6, 2011 1:17 PM

Leader's Report

October 2011

All politicians in power worry about their legacy. ForNorfolk's current Conservative administration it will surely be the Saddlebow incinerator… or maybe the record number of complaints (seven in the past year) to the Standards Committee about Derrick Murphy's behaviour as he fights to preserve his flagship policy.

The shenanigans at the full Council meeting which prevented my motion being debated and my speech being heard have been well documented elsewhere (EDP Article)Whilst the motion was about the behaviour of the Council Leader - and indeed Cabinet - bringing the Council into disrepute and a call for a public inquiry to look at allegations the Council's Constitution had been breached, it is worth reminding ourselves why we Liberal Democrats are opposed to the incinerator:

We don't trust the technology
We don't believe the business case has been made
We don't think public opinion should be ignored

The latter is very important. Over 65,000 people voted 'no' in theWest Norfolkpoll - more than seven times the numbers signing the Marham petition, more than nine times the numbers responding to the Big Conversation. Yet on the latter two issues the Tories used public opinion as evidence to support their actions.

Something that has been very striking in recent weeks is how any opposition from the Greens to the incinerator, and indeed Derrick Murphy, has evaporated. What is going on? Have they become Tories?

The incinerator and constitutional shenanigans have dominated the last month but other business has been going on. We need to watch what the Tories do on footpaths/bridleways as there are risks of their proposed policy meaning many of the County's public rights of way will become impassable. I can see them too interpreting their new responsibilities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 in such a way that the new responsibilities they have to alleviate the risk of flooding are not properly implemented.