Spotlight on the Brentwood Tories: Why they lack the right skills.

Further shambolic behaviour at town hall takes the Tories to an all-time low.

Labour fight for Brentwood

Last week the Brentwood Tories reached new depths of arrogance and disgrace at Brentwood Borough Council. Firstly by turning up late for the Community Panel meeting keeping members of the public, invited guests, opposition members and those watching on the internet waiting for over five minutes. Without apology the meeting progressed in a shambolic manner, was poorly chaired and two Conservative members left the council chamber long before the meeting had finished.

Conservative members were allowed to ramble on unchecked during the meeting and favouritism was shown to members of the administration while opposition members were once again gagged.

How the leader of the council had the nerve to call in opposition leaders last week to talk about behavior in the council chamber must be the ultimate in hypocrisy. Although clearly not a happy home, the Conservatives need to get their own house in order before it ultimately falls down around their ears.

During the embarrassing fiasco the Tories also managed split down the middle on a vote to bring back one hour parking to Brentwood’s car parks leading to a victory for the opposition who currently and collectively are working together for the benefit of Brentwood residents.

 

Labour in Brentwood have constantly been instrumental in saving residents form the excesses of the Conservatives which almost led to the selling off of our beloved town hall a few years ago.

 

The Tories just don’t seem to have the skills to run an effective and efficient meeting and unfortunately they take this poor attitude into running the council itself.

Having stripped staffing levels at the town hall to the bone (as one Tory put it recently), the Tory leader justifies employing interim staff at £500 per day because existing staff just “don’t have the skill set”. The fact that good staff training to retaining staff to carry out specific projects when needed would save us all a fortune in the long term is lost on a right-wing administration who continue to worship at the altar of capitalism and long to become a purely “commissioning council”.

Insulting staff by paying the minimum wage to seventeen employees while giving huge pay rises to the managing director and obscene salaries to interim staff the equivalent of £130,000pa is destroying staff morale and the fabric of our council. In all areas the Conservative administration has failed Brentwood residents.

As usual they refuse to look at their own inadequacies and try to turn blame onto others. Unfortunately for the Brentwood Tories, as far as leadership goes, they just don’t have the skill set.