Thursday 25 May 2017

Back to the future at Cornwall Council

On Tuesday Cllr Andrew Mitchell proposed Cllr Adam Paynter to lead the 'Lib Dem/ Independent Coalition of Losers at County Hall.

Cllr Paynter (Lib Dem Leader) and Cllr Andrew Mitchell (former Lib Dem and now Independent Leader) are the rump of the old Lib Dem administration which ran Cornwall County Council until 2009.

Cllr Paynter was the Executive Member for the Environment (his brief included the signing of the controversial contract for the incinerator) and Cllr Mitchell was the Executive Member for the Economy.

During that administration:

The Council borrowed £400m on horrendous terms for periods of up to 60 years;

Cornwall's money was invested in the Icelandic banks;

The airport closed in November 2008 without notice; and

The Lib Dems tried to foist a new (Lib Dem ish) logo on the Council when it became a unitary authority.

When the new councillors turned up in June 2009 the CEO warned us that things were so bad the

Council could end up in Government intervention (thankfully avoided other than for a shortish period in relation to children's services).

Cllr Mitchell remarked this week that he and Cllr Paynter had been Councillors for 17? years.  Perhaps most of their adult lives.

It just seems a bit regressive to go back to those 'heady' Lib Dem days of 2009 and before.

All the (46) Conservative councillors, who have been forced into opposition by the Coalition of Losers, can do right now is ask searching questions as to what goes on at County Hall.  On day 1 they forced the Lib Dem/Indys to bin the European Union Culture bid, saving up to £536k.

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