North Warwickshire Conservatives Press Release 23/03
Labour Councillors show disregard for residents as not one shows for Council meeting
There was astonishment last night at North Warwickshire Borough Council as Labour Councillors refused to attend a Council meeting to debate the proposed Boundary Changes to the community.
The Council were to debate a motion over whether to support the independent Boundary Commissions proposals to bring the whole of the Borough together in one constituency after controversial counter proposals have called for the current North Warwickshire area to be split up.
Those proposals came from none other than the Labour Council Group’s leader Adam Farrell, who was not prepared to defend or explain his counter proposals, and forced his Councillors to keep away from the meeting. Cllr Farrell stated in his request to the boundary commission to break up North Warwickshire that he was speaking in his capacity as Leader of the Labour Council Group.
These actions have been described as a ‘shameful disregard for democracy and residents’ by Councillor David Wright, Deputy Leader of the Council and Borough Councillor For Fillongley.
Cllr Wright said:
“The point of a Council is to debate local issues of importance which affect residents. Residents give Cllrs the honour of electing us, pay Council Tax and expect Cllrs to do their job. Tonight Labour have shown a complete lack of respect and terrible arrogance by failing to turn up. Behind the scenes they have been campaigning to the Boundary Commission to split our community up. The Current North Warwickshire constituency would not exist under Labour’s plans and yet when it came down to it, they did not have the courage to back their campaign at the council meeting to discuss it! They obviously do not want residents to know of their campaign to break up our community.”
The Conservative Councillors who attended, voted to support the independent boundary proposals which keeps our community together along with Hartshill and Arley, meaning the Council backs community unity.
Many longstanding Council members have stated that they have never seen the like before when the whole opposition Labour group have refused to take part in a debate.
Cllr Patrick Davey for Newton Regis & Warton Ward explained:
“Unfortunately since Adam Farrell became leader of the Labour Group they are forced to act in very political way rather than putting the community first. We have heard grumblings within their ranks and have even seen Cllr Farrell de-select Cllr Moss in the upcoming elections in Kingsbury. I would have hoped that Labour Cllrs are strong enough to put aside their leader’s games and come to a Council meeting. This is the latest in a catalogue of mishaps since Cllr Farrell became leader, which include attempts to sack most senior Council staff at the budget. Residents will not be happy and I can see a vote of no confidence with the Labour Group before too long.”
Even more shamefully for Cllr Farrell, instead of apologising for not bothering to attend Council, his political spinning was in full force on twitter last night in the aftermath of terror attack in Parliament, personally attacking Conservative Cllrs and the local MP.
Cllr Farrell bizarrely called the meeting a ‘waste of taxpayers money’, despite being in a council tax paid for position and refusing to attend.
Residents currently have until 27th March to engage in the latest consultation of the Boundary Commission proposals and counter-proposals. They can do this by visiting http://www.bce2018.org.uk and clicking on the ‘comment’ button.