Letter: Cllr Harwood’s Criticisms Are Strange

Published on: 9 Nov, 2021
Updated on: 9 Nov, 2021

From: Julia McShane

leader of the Lib Dem Group at GBC and borough councillor for Westborough

in response to: I Stand By My Decision to Join the Conservatives

The suggestion from Cllr Jan Harwood that the Liberal Democrats are not a collaborative party is strange, given his choice to leave a successful coalition, as is his desire to see proportional representation as a voting system, given the Tory manifesto commitment to the contrary.

For years Conservative-run GBC had the chance to declare a Climate Emergency and bring about change, but they didn’t. The Liberal Democrats tabled the motion following the 2019 elections. It is also notable that the words “environment” and “climate” weren’t mentioned once during Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s recent budget speech.

We consistently hold other parties to account when they make decisions that serve their own purposes but claiming people vote for us only as a protest is insulting to voters (including those who elected Jan) and colleagues that he claims to want to work with.

I am very much looking forward to my new role as deputy leader of Guildford Borough Council and focusing on working hard for residents.