Leaders astounded

4:35pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

WE are astounded at the comments made by both Ms Smith and Mr Wharrad in your paper of July 9. In fact we have seen Ms Smith's press release and it is obvious that she does not understand what is going on. Ms Smith said in her press release of which we have a copy:

Ms Smith added that the CEO needs to be directly accountable to the community they serve through their councillors, intimating that one should have a locally based CEO. The CEO will be directly accountable to the councillors but she obviously does not speak to Hazel Blears, Ms Smith's own cabinet colleague, whose white paper on local government wants one CEO, based in Worcester, to run the whole of Worcestershire. It was the Conservatives who stopped this.

If Ms Smith cannot get these simple facts correct what chance has the country got?

With regards to the joint CEO she appears to have made her decision with the wrong facts. We Conservatives want to understand the issues before we make a decision.

Evidence shows that Ms Smith supports government cuts without blinking. She failed to support the fight to save services at the Alexandra Hospital, she has been noticeable by her absence in fighting for funding for education in Redditch and we are not sure she knows what a post office is but when it comes to trying to improve services in this time of government cuts, raging inflation, numerable tax rises and economic decline she comes out in opposition. Need we say more!

The Bromsgrove councillors are slightly worried by Cllr Hartnett's comment, though, about the sick child. If any child is sick it ain't Bromsgrove. Does Cllr Hartnett know something that we don't?

Never mind we are confident that Mr Dicks will soon generate the efficiencies and hence savings that will allow both of us to improve the services to residents in Bromsgrove and Redditch.

Ms Smith is wrong again, by the way, in saying that we do not need a joint CEO.

The savings will not happen without one to drive them through, but we shall see.

Cllr Carol Gandy

Leader Redditch Borough Council

Cllr Roger Hollingworth

Leader Bromsgrove District Council

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