Conservative Councillor Rob Gledhill has slammed Thurrock’s Labour leadership for failing to take the lead on achieving savings.
At the budget setting it was agreed that the number of Cabinet posts would be reduced to 8, saving nearly £16,000. Cllr Gledhill, Shadow Cabinet member for Central Services, said “Last year we led on reducing Councillors allowances and stopping in borough expense claims. At the budget we did the same again by cutting Cabinet posts just as Thurrock residents asked us too. But whilst every department in the Council are stepping up to the mark to achieve savings Labour are happy to drag their feet and not reduce the number of their high paid Councillors, it outrageous!”
For every month that this saving is not made Labour are wasting over £1,300 of tax payers money forcing cuts to other services.
Cllr Gledhill added “Instead of taking the lead on savings, the Labour Cabinet have spent their time scaremongering and attacking our schools. We have already heard Labour say “it’s the Tories fault for increasing the number of Cabinet posts 7 years ago”, but they are supposedly in control so it’s down to them to stop ‘looking after their own’ and immediately cut two cabinet positions. This saving was supposed to start from 1st April but it looks like Labour are playing an Aprils Fool on all of us rather than just getting on with the job!”
What is the point of cutting cabinet posts on the 1st April when new executive model of governance starts at Thurrock Council at the beginning of May.
Councillor Gledhill voted for this and it gives the power to a future Leader to decide the size of any future cabinet. Ordinary councillors, like Mr Gledhill, have voted away their powers to shape the number of cabinet members.
Mr Gledhill and his tory collegues also voted for 99.6% of Labour’s budget so for him to lecture Labour on savings and ‘Getting on with the job’ is laughable.
I wonder if this statement is nothing more than mere posturing from one of the potential conservative group leadership contenders?
With the contest for the new Tory leader the worst kept secret in Thurrock council we can expect to see a few more of these totally irrelevant press releases put out over the coming weeks.
A new cabinet will be agreed in May after the local elections and it is up to the leader to decide how he/she want to form their cabinet and the numbers that will make up that cabinet. Rob Gledhill knows this full well but he needs to get a few articles out to mark his leadership territory.
Gary Hague has not been seen for about six weeks, rumour has it that there is a general feeling that it was his call on the ammended council budget and cuts to grays park beach, thameside theatre and the adult community college that was the step too far and has cost him the respect of his peers and his leadership of Thurrock Tories. Barry Johnson has spent the last week trying to do a damage limitation exercise for Gary Hague but it is just not working.
Over the last week you have seen Mike Revell another contender for the leadership putting on his battle armour for who will take over at the helm of the Thurrock Tories. Suddenly he has become the voice for education and made Sue McPherson redundant from her shadow education portfolio.
Over the next few weeks we will see even more of these articles from within the Tory ranks. Mark my words its all about who comes out as leader of Thurrock Tories in May and gets to pick up the mess of the disorganisation and infighting that Gary Hague has left behind.
It is Election Time – No to ConDem NHS reform yes to formal Review! GP’s are not accountants they look after people not businesses – reform the PCT’s by all means and make them more accountable – no private companies – no 2 Teir Service “An American NHS”. Put the National back in NHS – Quality care regardless of location and income. It is time we invested more in a Medical Service fit for the 21st Century which will again become the envy of the World!
Goodbye Gary – have a go Rob!
Come on Tunde…..
I think cllr Gledhill needs to look back to when he was in charge of the council along with his conservative cllrs! They paid a massive amount to consultants and an interim chief executive! and so on, this money could have been put in the reserves so that the council didn’t have to make the amount of redundancies that it has had to or cuts to local services or think of even privatising our leisure facilities (not that I am 100% against privatising some of the services) but what I call leisure and what your leader calls leisure are two different things Cllr Gledhill!
TBH on the leadership it doesn’t matter who is in control of the conservative group just as long as they aren’t in control of the council!