Conservatives criticise new council for ‘breaking promises on day one’

THE leader of the Wokingham Conservatives has criticised the Wokingham Borough Partnership for “breaking its first promises on day one”.

Following the authority’s annual council meeting on Thursday, May 19, Cllr Pauline Jorgensen said the new leader of Wokingham Borough Council, Cllr Clive Jones, “talked a good talk” but didn’t deliver on his promise.

She said: “At the annual council meeting, I spoke of the need for all political parties to work together – that was the clear message that the voters sent when they left no party with a majority.

“It’s outrageous that coalition councillors are trying to deceive the public into thinking that they are representing their old parties, when the truth is that they’ve merged together to ensure that they gain a stranglehold on the council.

“Coalition councillors have completely ignored the democratic choice just made by residents.”

Cllr Jones disagrees with this as he believes residents “sent a clear message” at the elections on Thursday, May 5.

He said: “We will take no lectures from any Wokingham Conservative on democracy.

“Residents sent a clear message when 62% of voters didn’t vote Conservative.”

The Wokingham Borough Partnership, referred to as a “coalition” by the Conservatives, was formed after the local elections earlier this month.

Wokingham councillors approved the Liberal Democratrun administration at the meeting last week after it received support from Labour and the two independent councillors.

Cllr Jones insists partnerships like this are common across the country.

He said: “Partnerships like the Wokingham Borough Partnership are common in many places in the country.

“In some parts, the local Conservative group forms some of these partnerships.”

Cllr Jorgensen said her party will do their best to hold the new council to account, with or without cooperation from the administration.

She said: “In an ideal world, they’d do the decent thing, resign their seats and seek reelection for their new party, but the very least they could do is be honest with the public.”

Cllr Jones said the new administration is open to cooperation, something he believes the Conservatives didn’t do throughout their time of holding a majority.

He said: “May I remind Pauline Jorgensen that they have always said no to additional representation from other parties.”

Cllr Jones added: “The Conservatives need to grow up and do proper politics, not just political point scoring.”