At an extraordinary meeting of South Cambridgeshire District Council last night—convened specifically to ensure open discussion about how the administration intend to respond to the government following the Secretary of State’s letter raising concerns over the 4-day week, the Lib Dem administration voted against a Conservative amendment requiring the Council Leader to share minutes and materials from the upcoming meeting with the minister.
Despite the meeting being called in the name of transparency, the Lib Dems voted against the proposal, raising renewed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the 4-day-week.
Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Heather Williams said:
“We are naturally disappointed that the Lib Dems voted against sharing any minutes or information that would be used in conversations on the 4-day week with government. But it is not unexpected given the undemocratic and closed-door way the Lib Dem administration has conducted itself throughout the whole 4-day week experiment. They continue to show utter contempt for residents and an arrogant view that they know better than both the Conservative and Labour governments, and most importantly, than the many residents that took part in the recent consultation showing that across the board residents are increasingly dissatisfied with the service they are receiving and how the Lib Dems are spending their money.”
“It’s clear that trust is at an all time low in South Cambs. We will do all we can to restore people’s faith in local politics and that starts by being upfront and honest with residents. That’s exactly why I said no to receiving information under the agreement of not sharing it with the public on the Lib Dems paying full-time wages for part-time work. It’s why we legally forced them to share information and why we call out their spin. The dangerous thing is they appear to believe their own spin, but I have faith residents will see through their party lines and the truth will out.”
The Conservative Group reaffirmed its commitment to pushing for full transparency and ensuring residents are fully informed about decisions that affect their day-to-day lives and council spending.
