Cllr Michael Headley- Tories Have Bottled It! Letter to the press.

This letter appeared in the Bedfordshire On Sunday Newspaper on February 19th 2012

Dear Sir

This has probably been one of the toughest years ever for local council budgets. It has certainly been the biggest challenge in my 17 years as a councillor.

In this climate, Mayor Dave Hodgson has gone to great lengths to unite councillors of all parties to work together on this unprecedented challenge. All parties were represented on the Mayor's cabinet and all parties have been involved for the last 9 months working to develop this budget, including early, open and comprehensive consultation with local people.

However, despite approving it at every stage prior to the final vote, the first anyone knew that the Tories were going to bottle it and abstain on the budget was just before the vote was to take place. When the going gets tough, apparently local Tory councillors abstain.

This is not the level of leadership local residents deserve from their Tory councillors. Nevertheless, I can reassure people that the continuing multi-party cabinet, led by Dave Hodgson, is committed to delivering the best services possible for local residents through the tough financial times we all face.

Yours faithfully

Cllr Michael Headley

Portfolio Holder for Finance and Asset Management