A proper opposition

Do I detect a touch of sour grapes in the recent letter from Tory leader councillor Robert Oliver (‘No respect for Lib Dems’) ?

For decades Sunderland Council has surely been one of the worst run councils in the country. Of course it has been run by Labour, but for years and years Conservative councillors have failed to provide an effective opposition.

In fact, it’s worse than that.

They’ve been in a cosy consensus, with Labour and Conservatives on the council teaming up to protect councillor allowances, expenses and perks like Airshow freebies and the disgraceful taxpayer funded all you can eat buffet meals after council meetings.

Liberal Democrats refuse to take these meals and all of our councillors refuse to claim any expenses, freebies or perks.

We’re also the only party to always vote to cut councillor allowances and expenses – but we are always blocked by Labour and Conservatives acting together to protect their own interests over the interests of council taxpayers.

Its clear that in Sunderland, Labour and Conservatives hate the Lib Dems more than they hate each other.

Why? Because we aren’t scared to speak out on behalf of residents who are sick to be back teeth of this incompetent council’s decades of complacency, incompetence and wasteful spending.

Robert Oliver and his Conservative colleagues are clearly running scared of a local Liberal Democrat party, who say what local people really think, have gone from having no councillors at all two years ago to now having a group of six, and who provide much-needed opposition to this Labour-run council.

It is a shame that the Conservatives are more interested in their own status and self-importance than they are about the best interests of Sunderland, Washington, Houghton and Hetton. Coun Stephen O’Brien, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Sunderland City Council