Tories in an all-out war of self-preservation

INTERNECINE war rages on in the Conservative Party, does it?

You would’ve thought that Boris Johnson’s call to “come together” post-Brexit would have sunk in with them, but when it comes to a unitary authority for Leicestershire, all-out war seems to be the flavour of the month with Tory leaders.

Self-preservation seems to be the order of the day, as Councillor Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council, squares up against the predominantly Tory leaders of the districts.

It’s fairly obvious why the county council wants to be a new unitary authority – more power in the hands of Tory councillors for a lifetime.

The districts disagree. They sense their only chance of self-preservation lies in an East Midlands regional mayor, with a combined authority of – guess what – district council leaders!

They would get to keep their fiefdoms and they would get to neuter Labour-run Leicester and Nottingham city councils, by taking away their transport, economic development and housing responsibilities and placing them in Tory hands.

Think of all those travel and subsistence claims having to go back and forth to the new regional mayor’s office at, now let’s think of somewhere strategically convenient, Lincoln? Nottingham? Mansfield? Trebles all round!

Joleta Meakin, Braunstone Town