What a shame Tories didn't wise-up earlier

2.49.16pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th May 2009

Brian Watkins

In a letter to the local press Brian Watkins, Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Norwich City Council, criticises the Conservative Party for failing to recognise the housing crisis at the City Council.

Dear Evening News,

I am glad that Conservative City Council Leader Anthony Little has finally woken up to the seriousness of the council's housing problems (Heads Must Roll - Calls for resignations after council is slated on housing Evening News 23rd April). It's just a shame he didn't wise up a couple of months ago, when he and his party blocked Liberal Democrat attempts to force an independent inquiry into the Greyhound Opening housing scandal.

The Liberal Democrats recognised that the problems at Greyhound Opening were part of a deeper crisis at the council, and this is why we called for a full independent inquiry in January. Our view has been vindicated by the Audit Commission's zero star rating for the housing department and the commission's recognition that, under the Labour administration, performance management is "weak"; the council is not delivering value for money; proper records are not being kept; and residents are not sufficiently involved in the service.

The Audit Report is a damning indictment of Labour's handling of the most important service that the council runs, providing almost 16,000 homes. It destroys any claims made by Labour that they are running the council efficiently. Clearly, the scandal at Greyhound Opening would not have occurred if Labour had proper control of the housing service.

The Conservatives have now finally woken up to what we knew a couple of months ago. At the key council meeting in January, they blocked an independent inquiry and, in cooperation with Labour, sent the matter to the council's internal scrutiny committee. This was a grave misjudgement by the Conservatives, and Cllr Little waking up three months later and shouting from the sidelines does not change that.

Moving forward, Labour needs to sort out the mess they created and the Conservatives need to be more robust in holding the administration to account.

On the resignation issue, it is really up to Cllr Morphew's own conscience and his party's wishes whether he resigns or not and, ultimately, it is up to the Norwich electorate whether they re-elect him and his Labour colleagues to the City Council.

Cllr Brian Watkins

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Norwich City Council