Tories Axe Debate as well as Services

Liberal Democrat County Councillors for Guildford, Sarah Di Caprio, David Goodwin, Eddie Owen, Pauline Searle and Fiona White joined together to send a letter to the Surrey Advertiser which was published today [10th Feb] informing Surrey's residents of Surrey County Council's Conservative run Executive's disregard for the processes of democracy.

Your readers will know that Conservative-run Surrey County Council (SCC) is proposing to axe frontline services including selected buses, youth centres and libraries. We are sure readers will want those cuts debated thoroughly and to know that all council members are taking the effects on Surrey residents very seriously. It is because the situation is so serious that we feel compelled to tell your readers about the recent denial of the democratic process.

The full council debate at SCC on Tuesday 24th January, where all members should have had a chance to give their views and express their concerns about the proposed reductions, was cut short - or guillotined to give it the official phrase - by the Conservatives.

Apart from the fact that it was so close to lunchtime, no reason was given for cutting the debate short while there were still a lot of councillors who wanted to speak.

This action was led by the ten-person SCC Executive who are proposing the cuts in the first place and is an insult to the people who live and vote in this County. There are funding issues at the County Council and they need to be addressed. The way to find the best solution is to have a free, open and democratic discussion of the issues and not shy away from allowing all views to be expressed