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The new Town Hall cabinet: Back row from left, Andrew Mennear, John Bryant, Keith Moffitt, Chris Naylor, Martin Davies, Ben Rawlings. Front row, from left: Mike Greene, Janet Grauberg, Andrew Marshall and Flick Rea |
Radical agenda as Cons and Lib Dems agree pact
Labour query who will pay for council tax freeze and new schools
LIBERAL Democrat and Conservative councillors last night (Wednesday) unveiled a radical programme of reforms after finalising terms of their power-sharing pact.
The partnership which will see the Town Hall cabinet split between six Liberal Democrats and four Tories follows three weeks of bargaining.
In their first hard copy list of pledges, members promised to:
• End car clamping as soon as possible.
• Increase short-stay parking near shops.
• Secure a site and funding to build a new school – possibly two.
• Freeze council tax in next year’s budgets.
• Review the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.
• Campaign for the retention of police stations.
• Re-open toilets in Highgate and West Hampstead.
• Set-up a new Healthwatch panel to scrutinise hospital performance.
• Refurbish Kentish Town swimming baths.
The battleplan was immediately queried by Labour leader Councillor Anna Stewart, whose election-losing troops took their places on the opposition benches for the first time in 35 years at last night’s (Wednesday’s) full council meeting.
She said: “My fear is that it will be the people of Camden who will suffer – as in order to balance the books and deliver on even some of the long list of manifesto promises, the new administration will have to drastically cut and outsources services.”
Cllr Stewart accused both of the alliance parties of raising expectations during the elections and warned that they would now face a struggle to make good their promises.
The alert came as the new Lib Dem-Conservative administration unveiled its cabinet – the team of the ten most senior councillors known as the ‘executive’. It included three new Lib Dem councillors with no experience at the Town Hall.
Councillor Ben Rawlings – the youngest ever cabinet member at 24 – will take control of the tough community safety, or crime, brief, Cllr Chris Naylor has the housing portfolio while Cllr Janet Grauberg takes on the demanding job of treasurer. Less than a month ago all three new cabinet members were not even sure that they would become councillors as they fought to be elected in wards traditionally considered Labour strongholds.
Once employed in Labour MP Frank Dobson’s private office, Cllr Grauberg gave up her senior civil servant job to run for election and now finds herself with a chief role on council spending and future changes to tax demands.
Lib Dem campaign manager Ed Fordham said: “I think it is fresh. People voted for change, a change away from Labour and it is inevitable that part of that change will be new people with new ideas. It is an exciting time and we have no worries that these councillors in the cabinet will do a great job.”
More experienced Lib Dems Flick Rea and John Bryant have also been rewarded for their long-service with cabinet roles.
The Conservative choices for cabinet positions have also done their time in opposition. Cllr Mike Greene is the new environment chief, Cllr Andrew Mennear is in control of schools and Martin Davies rules social services. Group leader Andrew Marshall becomes the deputy leader of the overall council, second only to Lib Dem chief Keith Moffitt.
Cllr Mennear said he would prioritise the building of new schools – hinting that privately-sponsored trust schools, denounced by Labour members locally, could even be considered.
He said: “We will look at all the options. It does nobody any favours by ruling out any options.”
Cllr Greene said he would look at ending car clamping as soon as possible. Both parties were yesterday (Wednesday) heralding the partnership, which will run for the full four year council term, as a good recipe for Camden residents.
Cllr Moffitt said: “This is a shift of power from Labour to the Liberal Democrats.”
Yesterday (Wednesday), Labour members were suggesting cracks would soon appear in the Lib Dem and Conservative alliance. Cllr Stewart said that the Lib Dems wanted fewer Asbos to be sought while Conservatives applauded the strategy.
She added: “Clearly only time will tell how these tensions will be resolved and we will have to wait and see who is really in the driving seat.” |
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