Letter: Cllr Bigmore’s Conversion Is to Be Welcomed

Published on: 23 Dec, 2023
Updated on: 22 Dec, 2023

From: John Murray

secretary Guildford Conservatives – Town Centre Branch

I was intrigued to read the reported remarks of the R4GV leader, Joss Bigmore, in the article New Joint CEO for Guildford and Waverley Councils Appointed.

He catalogues several concerns around the CEO selection process, including the observation that “…we still have a medium-term financial plan deficit of over £7 million”.

Presumably, he is referring to the £7.3 million funding gap referred to at 1.7 of the Financial Recovery Plan dated November 16 2023, being a reduction of £9 million from the £18.3 million deficit in the budget approved by the council in February of this year.

Readers may be interested to know that in the budget document presented in February last, and showing the projected aggregate deficit of £18.3 million, Joss Bigmore was named as “Lead Councillor Responsible”.

Moreover, this budgeted deficit came in the wake of a large cumulative deficit run up in the previous four years by the R4GV/Liberal Democrat administration of which he was a member. His recent conversion to financial prudence is to be welcomed.

Responses to Letter: Cllr Bigmore’s Conversion Is to Be Welcomed

Joss Bigmore Reply

December 23, 2023 at 8:20 am

It’s always unfortunate when the ignorant and innumerate comment on matters that are beyond their comprehension. In 2019 we inherited an annual £6 million deficit from the Conservatives, we battled the pandemic, Conservative austerity, and then Liz Truss inspired inflation.

I remain proud of the LD/R4GV coalition and all that we achieved after years of Conservative arrogance and vanity projects that left GBC with significant financial risks.

Joss Bigmore is a R4GV councillor for Merrow and was the leader of GBC from to 2020-2022.
Tony Drapper Reply

December 24, 2023 at 10:39 am

But if desperate point scoring is all you are good for, is it?
John R Murray Reply

January 4, 2024 at 6:04 pm

I am not sure where Joss Bigmore [R4GV leader] gets his numbers from. In the four years prior to his administration taking over (to year ended 2019) GBC had run a Provision of Services surplus in every year totaling £38.8 million. In the period from 2020 to 2023 there was a cumulative deficit of £46.9 million. In 2019 there was a surplus of current assets over liabilities of £20.3 million and by end 2023 this was a deficit of £82.5 million (source: GBC published accounts).

I note that the figures that I quoted in my original letter have not been disputed. Ignorant I may be, innumerate I am not. Nor am I involved in desperate point scoring. I just state what happened.