THE Conservatives say Reform UK are leading a “do nothing” administration at Staffordshire County Council.
It comes after no full meetings of the authority are due to take place for three months.
Senior Tory figures said the Reform UK leadership was failing to take the challenges of local government seriously.
Opposition leader Cllr Philip White said:
“At our first council meeting, Reform said they needed some time to come up with a plan for what they would do at Staffordshire County Council.
“We are now nearly three months in and there is still no plan – and we will now have to wait another three months before they can bring any major decisions for the council to approve.
“With significant challenges facing our communities – from social care and education to roads and infrastructure – this is not the time for delays or disengagement.
“Residents expect their council to be active, visible and accountable. Reform UK is failing on all three fronts.”
A meeting of the county council this week saw Cllr Alex Farrell, Conservative group deputy leader and representative for the Lichfield Rural South division, question why meetings had been kicked down the road.
“Reform UK seem to be afraid of public meetings and subjecting themselves to scrutiny – isn’t it just the case that under Reform UK Staffordshire County Council is now becoming a do nothing council?
“It’s 12 weeks until their next meeting. Do they not have enough work going on to require a meeting sooner, or does the leader just want to give his councillors a very long summer holiday?”
But Cllr Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said the blame for scheduling lay at the door of the previous Tory-controlled authority.
“Seen as the Conservative administration was rejected by the electorate in May, we
thought it was only fair that they be given a break from you. Meanwhile, we were busy getting on with running the business and marking your homework.“Council diaries were set last year under your administration – the calendar dates were published in November 2024.”
We shouldn’t be surprised.
It would seem that there’s very little interest in the functions of our County Council as this is only the 2nd comment in 10 days.
I am no flag bearer for the Reform administration, but it would seem that Tory members would be wise to have knowledge of what they are contributing before entering the debate, if as it seems the former Tory administration published the current Meetings’ Calendar late last year.
“Foot in mouth” seems a very appropriate idiom !