The desperate LibDem campaign to avoid electoral wipeout in May has taken a nasty turn following a new story that reveal a senior Councillor is prepared to lie to keep her seat.
LibDem frontbencher Judith Lubbock, who is trying to hold onto her marginal Eaton Ward against the Conservatives, claims on her website that:
A leading story in one Conservative newsletter in Eaton, titled "Alternate Weekly Collections - What A Load of Rubbish?" criticises the new household waste scheme. Despite the fact that Conservative Councillors actually supported and voted in council meetings to introduce the new scheme.
However, on this blog I can exclusively revealed that the exact wording of the newsletter was:
The Big Bin Debate:
Is AWC rubbish?
The way your household rubbish is collected will be changing this autumn as Alternative Weekly Collection (AWC) is introduced across Eaton. This new measure will be trialled in the South and West parts of Norwich, with plans to extend it across the city.
AWC means that recycling is collected one week and residual household waste is collected during the alternate week. Residents have expressed concerns about the impact of fortnightly rubbish collections. There are serious worries about the effect this will have on hygiene, fly tipping and problems with vermin.
Cllr Antony Little, Conservative Group Leader at City Hall, and Niall Baxter, local campaigner, will keep in touch with residents to assess the impact of this scheme.
Niall says: “I’ve spoken to many people in Eaton recently, and I know how worried they are about this. I want to know their reactions to AWC as it gets going.”
Give us your feedback on the attached slip, or use our new residents’ hotline: 0845 634 9709. You can also use our special AWC feedback e-mail address: awc@norwichconservatives.com
We did vote for the scheme but also expressed some concerns regarding its consequences. I made these clear in my speech to council. The LibDems have lied about our headline, lied about the content of the school and seem to be willing to do anything to hold onto power. This newsletter prompted a debate, which is what we wanted, and both the positive and negative feedback went straight to City Hall and I am grateful to officers for their time in answering those questions.
However, the news gets worse for Cllr Lubbock, who went on to say:
Residents were also surprised to read that the Tories are claiming that Lib Dems support congestion charging in Norwich. This is not true! In fact, the Liberal Democrats put down a policy motion to a recent Council meeting stating that congestion charging would not be supported without a number of strict criteria being met, such as improvements to public transport and exemptions for residents.
Sadly Cllr Lubbock undermined her own case in a single paragraph. She has admitted that if criteria are met they will support the Congestion Charge in Norwich! Her speech to council was unashamedly pro-congestion charging as was that of her ward colleague Cllr Brian Watkins. We all noted her quotes, but she doesn’t like having them thrown back at her. Even Councillors from other parties were shocked at her pro-congestion charge stance.
We all expect a bit of rough and tumble at election time, but to issue half truths and bar-faced lies isn’t the way to engage the electorate. We’re all used to the fantasy-world politics of LibDem leaflets but she shouldn’t tar others with her own brush. We are for honest, positive campaigning. It’s a shame they can’t be.
4 comments:
They, as a party, are absolutely unbelievable, and Lubbock in particular is more so.
Just best to ignore them and let the electorate do the rest, Antony.
Sorry Antony but your usual excellent standards have slipped here.
You and Ms Lubbock are doing exactly the same thing here.
You are "taking a pragmatic position/facing both ways at once" (depending on your point of view) on waste collection.
Councillor Lubbock is doing the same thing on the congestion charge.
You are deliberately misrepresenting her position on the congestion charge to suit your political purposes.
She is doing the same with your position on waste.
She is accusing you of half truths, that is what you are doing with her also.
Two peas in a pod!!
I don't that is true, Anon2.
The Tories are pro-AWC and the LibDems are pro-CC. Simple isn't it? The trouble is that neither want to admit it!
The wording on the Tory leaflet was very careful and doesn't say they are anti-AWC BUT... te wording of the LibDem motion is clear that they are FOR congestion charging. QED? And before you ask, ye I did check the wording of the motion on norwich.gov.uk
When I was on Labour group it was always thought that Lubbock was a secret Tory plant. We were wrong - as on many things
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