Don't begrudge us our success!

Written by Cllr. Ian Galloway on Mon 28th Apr 2008

I found your front page report on Ian Liddell-Grainger's views where he implies by implication that the county council is being profligate with ratepayers' money, very much part of a pattern; perhaps even what passes for a strategy of his. He appears to be trying to undermine ratepayers' confidence in the county council's ability to manage the funds with which they are entrusted.

I am unsure why he has chosen this particular avenue of attack unless it is to associate the county council with the financial catastrophe that was the Conservative run West Somerset District Council. I think most people can spot the difference.

It is particularly ironic because during the entire, disgraceful period of the mismanagement of funds and priorities by the Tory led District Council, I cannot recall a single printed criticism by Ian Liddell-Grainger of the District Council's performance. Had he done so the outcome might have been very different.

The award winning and innovative financial team at S.C.C. belongs to all of us and has been independently audited as being a lynch pin of one of the top performing local authorities in the entire country. I am all for constructive criticism by our Member of Parliament but let's not begrudge success for political reasons.

With Kind regards,

Ian Galloway

C/Cllr. Minehead