TORIES BREAK PROMISES - AND IT'S ONLY THE FIRST MEETING!

Aylesbury Vale District Council Liberal Democrat Group

Press Release

The Liberal Democrat Group on Aylesbury Vale District Council expressed concern tonight that, at the first meeting of the new Council, the Conservative administration was already breaking promises it had made, in agreement with the Liberal Democrats, to implement changes to the Council in the best interests of the present and future residents of the District.

In January 2007, the two political groups made a binding agreement that whatever the outcome of May 2007's AVDC elections, a number of changes would be made to the workings of the Council in order to improve efficiency and joint working with other bodies, make decisions more transparent and improve accountability.

At the first meeting of the new Council, on the evening of 24 May 2007, the Tory administration broke two of these commitments:

• They declined to set up the agreed new Scrutiny Committee to oversee the Waterside development project, which will continue to remain shrouded in secrecy.

• They chose to elect Conservatives to chair all the Scrutiny Committees whose job it is to oversee and police the workings and decisions of the Conservative administration, rather than members of the opposition party as had been agreed in the name of open and proper scrutiny and accountability.

Speaking at the Council meeting, Liberal Democrat Steven Kennell reminded the Conservatives of their promises. Speaking later, Steven said:

"Whilst the Tories have set up the new Audit Committee, as we had agreed, aiding independent scrutiny, tonight saw commitments broken.

There was no effort by the Tories to justify why they were nominating themselves to committee chairmanships or why the agreed oversight of the Waterside project was not going to happen. When they made their agreement with us in January, both sides confirmed they believed the commitments we gave then to be in the best interests of the present and future residents of the District. Presumably, therefore, their actions tonight were motivated by the interests of somebody other than the residents."