The Liberal Democrats Are Already Failing Somerset

Somerset County Council Conservative Group

Press release - 20th July 2022

Lost opportunity to give help on Cost-of-Living

Well thought through and costed Conservative proposals to immediately alleviate the cost-of-living crisis in Somerset were today rejected in Full Council by the ruling LibDem administration who called upon the Monitoring Officer to rule them 'out of process'.

The proposals included:

•  Immediately making £1 million available from reserves to further assist Citizens Advice, Food Banks and other relevant agencies to offer practical support for those who are suffering most from the crisis
• Withdrawing the recently implemented £40 cost increase to SEND transport and post-16 education travel
• Immediately introducing the LibDem manifesto ‘Liberteen’ bus pass commitment to subsidise young people's travel around the County
• Immediately restoring the Health and Wellbeing fund of £5,000 per Councillor, from reserves, to enable individual County Councillors to target localised areas of suffering particularly in their deprived communities
• Recognising that by harmonising to the lowest District Council tax level as part of the LGR process that no further financial strain will be placed on individuals and it will support those already under pressure

The LibDems argued that these decisions could only be made at a much smaller Executive meeting. As a result the motion fell and the immediate opportunity to help Somerset residents was lost. Instead, the LibDem administration will write a letter to the national Government.

Commenting on the decision Conservative Leader David Fothergill said ‘This was such a wonderful opportunity to do something which could help residents today. Instead, the Lib Dems have chosen to just write a letter and lobby. It's deeply frustrating, as the plans were well thought through, well costed and would have had an immediate beneficial impact.  We will not give up trying to help those in Somerset who most need our immediate help. We were elected to support residents, not to focus our efforts on writing letters’.

ENDS