03/11/04 - Liberals Report Cllr Lister

Swindon's hapless Lib Dems busily lurching from disaster to disaster have decided to report Cllr Lister who is a member of the Budget Strategy Task Group to the standards board. 

As part of Cllr Lister's role, the numbers of staff at Swindon Council were investigated, with Cllr Lister making it clear that savings could be made in this area.

The clueless Liberals are still in denial that there is any waste in the Council, with the Liberal leader already pressing for a 'four times the rate of inflation tax rise next spring', despite a crystal clear message from local residents to drive down Council Tax.

After a 42% hike in Council Tax in just 3 years, the Conservatives are prepared to leave no stone unturned, and we will work twice as hard to make up the opposition Cllrs who support further Council Tax hikes instead of rolling their sleeves up and helping deliver value for money.

This week Cllr Dickinson, the Lib Dem Cllr for Finance left the Liberals to join the Conservatives. 

Cllr Dickinson, "I have been getting more and more disillusioned with the Liberal Democrats and feeling the best option to represent my residents was going to be as a member of the Conservative group."

"I don't believe the Liberal Democrats have anything to offer the people of Swindon so I don't believe I would have been representing the best interests of my residents if I had stayed with them,"

Evening Avdertiser 03/12/04

A COUNCILLOR who called for 400 council job cuts is being reported to the standards committee.

Coun Owen Lister (Con, Abbey Meads) branded Swindon Council the `Swindon Borough Charity' and said 400 jobs could be cut.

Now the Liberal Democrats are reporting him to the council's standards committee calling for him to be disciplined and made to apologise for his comments.

Coun Chris Shepherd (Lib Dem, Freshbrook and Grange Park), leader of the Lib Dems, group said he was appalled by the comments.

"Staff moral is pretty low as it is, so to be saying things like that in public is not acceptable," he said.

"He needs to apologise."

Coun Lister said that he felt he had nothing to apologise for.

He has previously said he made the comments out of concern for council tax payers, particularly the elderly and those on fixed incomes.  A statement which he repeated at Full Council in November.