Paul Johnston

At last the Lib Dems have put some 'literature' through my door. Previously I have had to comment only on what was delivered elsewhere. The latest effort is called the 'Surrey Express'.

Of interest to me is a photo showing the 'Berrylands Focus Team' - in existance since at least last month! - 'saving' Surbiton Hospital. Strange that I don't recall any of them being at the meeting of the PCT last September or again on November 11th or at any other time. And where is the Surbiton Hill Focus Team? Conspicuous by its absence again.

Interestingly the authors do admit that there is a 'neck and neck race' for control of the Borough. Considering they are defending an overall majority of 12 and currently have twice as many councillors as the Tories and 10-times the number of Labour, this is quite an astonishing admission of how vulnerable their deplorable administration of the Borough has made them.

Again they try to change the subject and divert attention from their failures into a campaign for a 'fair deal for Kingston'.  The funding imbalances to which they draw attention are nothing new. Outer London Boroughs have been significantly worse funded by central government since the present London Local Government set-up was established in 1963. They therefore emphatically do not explain why a party with such overwhelming power as they have had has so signally failed to get a grip on the Borough's finances.

We have also further attempts to smear the Conservative Minority administration between 1998 and 2002. They don't admit that it was a minority administration and that THEY, year on year, kept it in being. Nor do they tell their readers about the reponsibility allowances paid to their Leaders throughout or to their members who chaired Overview Panels from 2000 onwards and were paid at the same rate as Cabinet members.

But most risible of all is a call from the ineffable Edward Davey MP to 're-elect a Council that's kept its promises.' What about its promise not to sink any more public money into the Theatre project - broken shamelessly last year to the tune of £3,000,000 or £250,000 a year in interest alone? All this without ever once allowing the elected representatives of the Council Tax payers a single opportunity to debate the issue in the open in full Council.

Mr. Davey should be ashamed of himself for putting his name to such hypocritical nonsense as this.