Medway Council Meeting III

The first Council of 2011 was dominated by the £23.5m cut to the Medway Council grant and the impact of cuts to police and Sure Start

Attendance was surprisingly good considering a number of Councillors are likely to be on there final stretch of service before retiring. Cllr MacKinlay was noticeably absent which was somewhat surprising given that that European Union was on the agenda. Looks like it was only John Jones speaking up for River ward once again.

The public questions began at pace with an early question on toilets at the Pentagon knocked back by the Conservatives. The administration accepts no responsibility for the appalling state of the toilets and will do nothing about the charge. It was not just Cllr Mark Reckless (Con) who was taking the piste, his colleagues were seemingly happy to join him.

The nightmare roadworks, a constant irritation to residents across Medway once again came up. The questioner wanted to know why Conservatives seemingly ignored traders and residents and engaged in programmes which were poorly timed and planned. The Rochester Corporation Street roadworks were mentioned as incredibly damaging. The Tories suggested that all that opposed the roadworks opposed regeneration and that the schemes were overwhelmingly supported by business. Facts disputed by the traders themselves. No apology for loss of trade was forthcoming.

The leaders reports were notable as Cllr Chambers (Con) railed against his own government and the cuts that have disproportionately impacted Medway. Cllr Godwin (Lab) reminded the Tories that this was the same government that they had campaigned and leafleted for, and that distancing themselves from the government was ridiculous. The Medway Conservatives are the 'cuts people' he went onto say and they would be judged in May on that.

Cllr Vince Maple (Lab) then raised the issue of the Chatham bus station. The response was farcical and notable for its total lack of content. The Conservatives have utterly mismanaged this major programme and it is now running late with the money due to run out in March. The Tories are consulting banks and government for an extension of a loan, but the Tories would not disclose the total sum. They did disclose that the government had not confirmed any extension to the budget for the programme. This is a major problem for the Conservatives - will they leave Council tax payers with another debt legacy?

The motions were contentious and well debated.

The Labour motion to oppose Conservative cuts to Police through the wasted election of a Police Commissioner was well debated. The Tories supported the elected commissioners despite many of them sitting on non-elected boards themselves and receiving stipends. The Conservative hypocrites were out in force. Cllr Mike O'Brien (Con), the probable Gillingham faction candidate for leader, put his foot in it by suggesting Councillors should not mandate there MPs, seemingly oblivious to the previous Council meeting and the Conservative-led motion on the EU. Cllr Mark Reckless (Con) even suggested that having the Police Commissioner spending their time canvassing for support would not be a conflict of interest; totally ludicrous. The Tories voted for Police cuts.

As predicted by this blog, the second motion on the EU budget was indeed a warning shot to Cllr Rehman Chisthi MP to stop sucking up to government and start to act in the interests of the lunatic right-wing fringe that is the Tories in Medway. He was made to look a plum as he stood up to defend the indefensible Conservative settlement to the EU budget. He was the only member to oppose the motion led by Cllr Jarrett (Con).

The Rochester & Stood Conservative faction knifed him in open Council which shows that the games in the Tory ranks are getting worse. At no time, and this blogger noted, did any of the Tory speakers talk about Medway residents. It was a total naval gazing exercise.

The last motion was led by Cllr Teresa Murray (Lab) on the the cuts to Sure Start. The motion was well timed given the announcement in the BBC that all Councils would need to cut Sure Start facilities. Medway Labour pre-empted this announcement by forcing the Conservatives to safeguard the Sure Start facilities.

At no point did any Conservative mention Council tax during the evening which was significant given the fact that they have failed to collect approximately £4.2m in Council Tax.

The Rochester Riverside programme of works passed with little debate but John Jones did highlight the major concerns that one of the building developers 'Crest' had pulled-out the process and left the development at risk.

All in all a very good evening for Labour and a good evening for the Rochester & Strood Conservative faction. Cllr Chisthi looked foolish.

We can all celebrate that!