New spirit of civility surely can’t last

THERE was not much raw politics on offer at County Hall for the first meeting since the Conservatives nearly lost control of the council thanks to UKIP’s surge in the polls.

Civility seemed to be the watchword for the day, with newly-elected chairman Cllr Eric Hotson declaring that he hoped that the 84 members would make the chamber a “great debating chamber.”

Off The Record doesn’t hold out much hope of that but who knows?

We’ll keep you posted. As we will next time pigs are seen flying over County Hall.

THE consensual spirit was in further evidence with a declaration from Conservative leader Paul Carter that he wished for an end to “yah boo” politics at County Hall and instead hoped there would be “constructive opposition.”

Of course, politicians who decry the negative style of politics that does turn ordinary punters off are often the first to lapse into it. Mr Carter just about contrived to hold good to his word – although he slipped in a few asides about the UKIP bunch not understanding the allowances report – but Labour was having none of it.

Leader Gordon Cowan stepped up and denounced in fervent language the ruling administration, who he accused of prevailing over a failed authority and then went on to catalogue a litany of what he said were the council’s

Anne Loftus, of literacy charity Beanstalk