Tories facing a tough test in Worcestershire elections

Jun 2 2009 by Adam Aspinall, Birmingham Post

The Tory administration at Worcestershire County Council is expected to hold onto power in the upcoming election but faces a tough test from the Liberal Democrats and Independent candidates.

The Lib Dems are confident after the party landed a series of political punches on the Conservative-led council in recent months.

Figures released by the party in April revealed that the council’s press and communications budget had spiralled by 175 per cent over four years from £225,400 in 2004 to £621,000 in 2008 while under Conservative control.

And according to the leader of the Liberal Democrats, councillor Tom Wells, this “profligacy” will lead to people turning away from the Tories at the ballot box.

He has promised to save over £2 million from the budget if elected into power by trimming the council’s communications department and by reducing the number of specialised Directorates within the council.

He said: “Voters are fed-up with the self-indulgent culture of profligacy that has emerged in Worcestershrie County Council.

“In the last four years we have witnessed many examples of questionable spending choices, such as the £9,000 purchase of an oil painting, the £900,000 refurbishment of county hall, not to mention the £100,000 spent on a new electronic system for the chamber – which doesn’t work.

“We are standing against the profligacy of the current administration and the money we save from our cuts will be directly channelled back into frontline services.”

But Tory council leader George Lord rubbished Coun Wells’ claims and defended his administration’s spending.

He said: “The Liberal Democrat arguments are old hat and behind the times.

“Staff in a modern democracy cannot be expected to function in out of date buildings.

“It is money well spent and we will get the £900,000 for county hall back in a year anyway from the money we make renting it out so it pays for itself.

“The truth is the Lib Dems know they will be lucky to get more than 10 people voted in during the election.

“Our worst enemy will be voter apathy because there are quite a lot of disillusioned voters out there following the expenses scandal.

“The whole thing has been an unwelcome intrusion into our election campaign.”

One party hoping to make gains from the fallout surrounding the expenses scandal are Independent Community & Health Concern, the party led by Dr Richard Taylor, the country’s only independent MP.

The party is fielding nine candidates and hopes to improve its representation on the council where it currently has one member.

He said: “We hope that people who are ready for an alternative will look at us and realise we can do a good job, we are a proven, effective party in the local area and hope that we can benefit from the expenses scandal.”

But while there is hope for some, Labour leader Peter Pinfield has admitted his party would struggle even to hold on to its existing 15 seats on the council, .

He said: “We would be doing well if we got the same number of seats let alone challenge for more. I would be very happy to simply come out with the same number of seats on Friday that we have now but I am a realist and think that we have to be honest about our prospects.

“When a party has been in power for so long people turn against and I think we will see that in our vote in the election.”