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

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

Leader's Report November

December 5, 2011 3:02 PM

Website Leader's Report

December 2011

A month where we ended up with two less Councillors at the end than we had at the beginning can hardly be rated a success! The loss of the Lakenham by-election was hardly unexpected - Labour have always been strong there and we are part of a Government doing some unpopular things - but David Callaby's defection was a complete shock which also hurt many Group Members personally. We believed Councillor Callaby was man of principle but he had deceived us. It is clear he was panicked by the May District Council results in his Division where the Tories did well and thought the only way he would retain his seat in 2013 would be as a Conservative. No wonder the public have a low opinion of 'politicians'!

The Saddlebow Incinerator continues to dominate at County Hall. I'd always thought the Tories nationally would try to find a way of preventing it ever being built. That said, the indications are that even if the PFI credits are ultimately withdrawn, Derrick Murphy is still determined to go ahead.

It was encouraging that Cabinet Scrutiny Committee have asked Cabinet to reconsider enabling blind people using their bus passes an hour earlier than at present (i.e. from 0830) and to allow companions (for all disabilities) to travel free. This is something we have been plugging away at for many months now.

The Conservative administration has recently introduced an 'Academies Strategy' - http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/cabinet141111item10pdf We supported it, not because we agree with Academies, but because in the face of an unrelenting drive by Government to make all schools become Academies, which no Council can stop, the County Council needs an effective response. Our Group continue to believe that locally unaccountable Academies (andFreeSchools) are socially divisive and will put an impossible burden on Governing Bodies and School Managers with the consequence that educational outcomes will suffer.

Finally, I must personally express some sympathy with the public sector workers on the pension issues, though I am not sure striking was the right thing to do. Those highly paid executives in the financial sector (and the politicians who failed to regulate it) that caused this crisis in public finances seem to be getting away without any financial penalty. It also seems to be forgotten the average public sector pension is £7,800 p.a. and that the various pension schemes vary hugely.