At the County, it's CONFIRMED - Lib Dem or Tory, Same Old Story

 

Denise Wyatt
Somerset Independents Nominations Officer

At yesterday's unbelievable Budget Full Council meeting, our Leader Andrew Pope spoke to ask that councillors reject the Budget proposed by the Tory-run councillors and make them think again about asking for more millions from hard-pressed taxpayers during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Andrew said:

"You can’t get away with it. Not during a Global Pandemic when residents have been sacked, been furloughed, been ill or died, and businesses have folded, had to shelve expansion, or lose staff."

Andrew's full speech is below. The SomersetLive report by Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby is here. Some of Andrew's speech is reported in it.

 

The Liberal Democrats, who are supposed to be the largest group of councillors in opposition, did not oppose the Tories' Budget.  

 

Much, much worse - in a sign of abject surrender, and the opposition of a limp lettuce, all Lib Dem councillors even voted for the Tories' Budget!

 

Somerset Independents Nominations Officer* (see note below) Denise Wyatt says:

"I was shocked but not surprised that the Liberal Democrat County councillors voted with the Conservatives on the Tory budget.

Andrew Pope was right to say at today's meeting that the Opposition is pathetic and Lib Dem or Tory, it's the same old story.

It's ludicrous that the Lib Dems voted with the Tory budget.

Where was the Lib Dem Opposition as the largest opposition group?

Where was the Lib Dem's Alternative Budget? They have a duty to provide one, to stand up for Somerset's residents against the Tories. Did the Lib Dem Spokesperson Liz Leyshon even read the Tory's Budget. She even stated that the money, at the direction of the Tory councillors, was being managed well by officers! 

The Lib Dems have all the strength of a limp lettuce in standing up for Somerset. Councillor Jane Lock is supposed to "lead" the Opposition. All she did was agree with the Tories!

As Somerset Independents has been saying for the past year, it's Lib Dem or Tory, same old story."

*In a political party registered with the Electoral Commission, the Nominations Officer is responsible for the candidates that Somerset Independents stands at elections.

Andrew Pope's speech and his Statement, sent prior to the meeting to all councillors, is below:

 

Andrew Pope
Leader of Somerset Independents

"Good Morning. I’m Andrew Pope and I’m the Leader of Somerset Independents, a pressure group and political party formed during the first Covid-19 lockdown. I speak to my written Statement, where I ask you to refuse the 4.99% increase in council tax.

At the Police andCrime Panel, I asked for the £15 increase to be refused. It was. Your increase is over four times higher!. It’s not on. Like the County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner has repeatedly asked for increases. It is almost as if you all take Somerset’s money for granted. No taxation without representation.

Like the Commissioner, the County has not spent wisely. Like the Commissioner, millions spent on the wrong priorities. Like the Commissioner, hoping to get away with it. No.

You can’t get away with it. Not during a Global Pandemic when residents have been sacked, been furloughed, been ill or died, and businesses have folded, had to shelve expansion, or lose staff.

The right Council services have not been delivered, but your Council asks for more money. Is it justified? No, it is definitely not.

OFSTED and Ombudsman criticism, unsafe roads, huge disruption by roadworks at Prestleigh.

You councillors are supposed to be the custodians of taxpayers’ money. But you have not spent according to residents’ priorities or delivered the services that residents need. And still you want more millions from the taxpayer. No, it is not justified, but you think you can get away with it.

Councillors, in my Statement, I said that you have not done your jobs - the Conservative-run Council’s councillors and the opposition has been pathetic. Lib Dem, Labour or Green, you are all weak. As today’s report says, there are no recommendations from four committees. Why? How? You are not standing up for residents, so members of the public like me have to do it for you as volunteers!

No taxation without representation. That is how democracy is supposed to work, when it comes to public money. If you do not spend wisely, we vote you out. If you do not oppose properly, we vote you out. Lib Dem, Labour, Green or Tory, same old story. So out you should go.

But the majority of you councillors even voted to stop us voting you out! Not because of the dangers of Covid-19, did you want to stop residents voting, which would be sensible. You did it merely to protect your own allowances, to protect your own Tory Party and to backup your ownproposal to change our councils, AND continue to mis-spend millionsof pounds of public money.

So you ask for more millions, you stop residents delivering their verdict at the ballot box, and the merry go round continues.

NO. No more. No taxation without representation. When the time comes, even if elections are delayed, Somerset residents must vote you out.

You have the opportunity today to show that you stand up for Somerset residents. This is your chance. I suggest that you take it, and vote this budget down to make you Tories think again.

Thank you for listening."

Andrew Pope Statement to Somerset County Council at Budget Full Council 2021

Dear County Councillor,

I appeal to you to refuse the 4.99% increase in council tax. Ask yourself whether this is really justified when there has been money wasted on One Somerset which no residents of Somerset asked for, and where the County has a budget report which is deliberately opaque, long-winded and hiding the truth.

The Cabinet Member responsible, as it is Councillor Chilcott’s report after all, could have made it clearer, by asking officers to do so. Instead, the public has to interpret a total mess hiding the mis-spending of public funds on a huge scale. Why do I say the public? Because you councillors aren’t doing your jobs.

There should be no taxation without representation. And the County Council has not listened to residents who want a referendum before any changes to how we are governed. In 2007, 82% of residents voted against a unitary. Even your own rigged consultation showed a lack of support. Please just stop it now.

Not only has this money been wasted, you are proposing to pay for other past, present and future mistakes by increasing council tax. £17 million for something that residents don't want, plus countless millions on who knows what in the future. No taxation without representation.

I spoke at the Police and Crime Panel recently, and for the first time, they refused an unjustified 6.6% increase which amounted to £15. They are councillors just like all of you apart from Councillor Hunt – national party politicians. Despite this, they stood up for residents and voted 11 for and 1 abstention. Your proposals are more than four times higher. Why? How?

I suggest to you that this level of increase is not justified, so you must refuse it today. Residents feel that you've got a cheek asking for any more money, let alone 4.99%, when your Conservative-run Council has provided no pushback whatsoever on the Conservative Government's failure to protect our county and its residents from the Pandemic. Instead, you beg for letters to and from failed Prime Minister Johnson. If you think Boris Johnson’s support bolsters support for you, you are very much mistaken. He and you have failed us.

The public expect the county council to be responsible. Instead of this, you are proposing to cut support for Freedom of Information, spend millions on a solar farm that won't pay back for many years, plus more wasteful IT spending. These are just some examples but there are many more. Please think again.

You've squirreled millions of un-ringfenced Government Covid money to bolster Council's reserves, asking suffering residents to pay more again. What a cheek.

You should be standing up for us. You should be refusing this increase today. I say again, the Police and Crime Panel finally found some backbone. So should you, because you should respect the dire situation that residents find themselves in, and vote against this misguided budget. No taxation without representation.

Thank you for listening and I hope that I will get a written response, and there will be a healthy debate, about the points that I have raised. You can contact us at somerinds@gmail.com.

Andrew Pope

Leader

Somerset Independents