Tories in Turmoil

7.00.00pm GMT Fri 14th Dec 2007

Conservative chickens are coming home to roost less than two years after the

Tories took control of the Council say local Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Paula Baker, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at Basingstoke &

Deane said:

"The Tories are clearly in turmoil. The Deputy Leader of the Council has

resigned just days after withdrawing, at the last minute, their flagship

policy of axing the community wardens. "

"The Cabinet operates on the basis of collective responsibility. The whole

Cabinet would have discussed their proposal to axe the wardens. Yet only

Councillor Robinson is carrying the can for not thinking the proposal

through properly. It is a huge admission and he has done the honourable

thing."

"The public and the wardens have been left in Limbo - we don't know when the

proposals to axe the wardens will come back - but we can guess it will

probably be after the May elections!.

"Previously the Conservative have withdrawn proposals to sell of Attwood

Close and proposals to consider Alternate Weekly Collection of household

waste. It is becoming a bit of a bad habit."

"How ironic it is that the Conservatives used to boast about the benefits of

a single party in control of the Council, taking tough decisions. Instead

it seems we have a divided party, out of control, making bad decisions."