Labour Party will ‘remain vigilant’ to keep new Tory leader in check
THE Labour group on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have welcomed the end of a ‘“blinkered, dictatorial and out-of-touch approach’ by the former leadership.
Labour councillors voted with their Conservative rivals to oust Sybil Ralphs as leader of the council at last week’s annual general meeting.
Now, they say they are hoping the new leadership – under Councillor Paul Roberts – will recognise the need for change.
Mike Gledhill, leader of the opposition at the district council, released a statement to the Post & Times on behalf of the Labour group of councillors.
He said: “We have all been badly let down in recent years by the intransigence of the political leadership of the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
“A blinkered, dictatorial and out of touch approach has led to poor strategy and decision making over our town centres, our markets, our car parking, our tourist information centre amongst other assets, and our hospital.
“Relations with many community groups have been needlessly soured. Links with town councils have been sadly undervalued. Labour councillors have campaigned tirelessly for change for a number of years.
“The controlling group of Conservative councillors has finally woken up to this after years of not listening to local opinion on the subject.
“That is why we took the opportunity at last week’s meeting to vote with them to remove Councillor Ralphs as leader of the council.
“We did this in the best interests of the community and not for party political reasons.
“Change is desperately needed at SMDC, and keeping the old regime in power any longer would have been doing a great disservice to the electorate.
“Hopefully, the new leadership will recognise this.
“Labour councillors (13 out of 56 at SMDC) will remain vigilant to ensure that change in culture, actions and accountability is delivered.”