Lib Dems Ask for Fair Share

9.35.24am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th Apr 2006

At their meeting next Tuesday (2nd May) the County Cabinet will be deciding who represents the County Council on strategic bodies for the next year. Last year, they refused any places to opposition groups (except Cllr Bradshaw who was allowed to stay on the GTE for Oxfordshire board).

This year, the Leader of the Opposition will ask, as last year, for a single Liberal Democrat place on outside bodies where there are three or more County representatives. "This means we will be asking for 5 places out of 31 which is a very modest request and more reflects the political balance of the Council," said Zoé Patrick. "We shall not expect a place where the Council is only represented by one or two people."

"The Tories were only elected on 34% of the votes cast across Oxfordshire last year, yet they immediately took every single chair, vice chair and outside body - without any regard to experience that other councillors could offer. For example, one of the places I will be asking for is one for Cllr Dermot Roaf on the South East Employers Organisation - where the County sends a delegation of four. Cllr Roaf is the national Vice Chair of the Local Government Employers Organisation, and has a wealth of advice and knowledge from that role that he is willing to put at the service of the Council.

"I hope very much that the Tories will accede to this request. A number of other Conservative Councils do send proportionally balanced delegations to regional and national bodies - for example, 14 out of 24 Conservative Councils send balanced delegations to the County Councils Network. All three Liberal Democrat controlled County Councils do the same."