Letter: Better Government? Where is the Transparency or Competence?

Published on: 8 Aug, 2023
Updated on: 8 Aug, 2023

From: Ben Paton

In response to: We Do Need Better Government That’s Transparent and Competent

John Rigg’s statement: “…most don’t even understand the difference between borough council, county council and Westminster” is true.

Given this, how can the borough council be made accountable to the residents they purport to serve?

One political party in Guildford has promised to deliver 3,000 new council houses. Does anyone hold it to account to explain how it could ever deliver on this manifesto pledge?

Where is the transparency or competence?

And how was the Local Plan transparent or competent? It did not even get the population projections right. No one has ever been held to account. Just as no one in Woking will be held to account for bankrupting Woking Borough Council.

Unfortunately, the national political parties believe that any means justifies their end – getting elected. And then comes the deluge.

As for the eye-watering £750 million capital budget. Where was the economic justification for this? Or the reasoned opposition to this? Apparently, all the political parties collaborated in groupthink, with the possible exception of GGG [Guildford Greenbelt Group].