Letter: Cllr Parker’s Interventions Were Exasperating

Published on: 28 Jan, 2017
Updated on: 28 Jan, 2017

Cllr Susan Parker

From Caroline Reeves

Borough councillor and leader of the Lib Dem group at Guildford Borough Council

In response to: Cllr Parker Is Being Singled Out For Abuse

I was at the Executive meeting that Cllr Cross refers to and I found it exasperating that Cllr Parker made comments on various items on the agenda while acknowledging that she had not read any of the items. It was a particularly long and detailed agenda of over 300 pages.

All councillors are notified of the agenda by email five days before any meeting, with the items attached in PDF form. It is also possible for any councillor to request a hard copy to be posted.

It is not helpful to any debate to comment without having read the papers, and this seems to be an approach frequently adopted by Cllr Parker. It’s not a good starting point for any councillor of any party to then go on to make inaccurate or contentious remarks.

Responses to Letter: Cllr Parker’s Interventions Were Exasperating

David Roberts Reply

January 30, 2017 at 1:33 pm

What kind of a party leader is it that posts a letter like this, directly contradicting the views of one of her own party group, Cllr Cross?

Could the Lib Dems please sort out their internal differences in private and not bother us with them? The public have a right to some coherence.
Ben Paton Reply

January 30, 2017 at 6:14 pm

We all know that GGG, and in particular Mrs Parker, is the scapegoat of choice for the Conservative Executive. So why does Cllr Caroline Reeves feel the need to cast her stone at the scapegoat too?

Since Cllr Reeves appears to have supported all the previous failed drafts of the Local Plan and since she seems to be among its loudest cheerleaders perhaps she should join the Executive. She subscribes to the GroupThink – so she should join the Group. That at least would be consistent.

Instead we have a sort of pretence at providing an “opposition” – which is nothing of the sort.

It is just intellectually dishonest to support the Local Plan on the spurious grounds that it will do anything to solve the shortage of social houses or reduce house prices in the borough.

It’s time local politicians focused on looking after local residents and stopped trying to be Shadow Foreign Secretaries.

Why does SCC wish to raise Council Tax by 15%? Because it does not have a sufficient income to support the services offered to existing residents and Council Tax payers. The Lib Dems support even more immigration which will only put further stress on government finances. But they object to increases in Council Tax. If you want to increase the population then you must be prepared to raise the taxes to pay for the services the new residents require.
Fiona Curtis Reply

February 1, 2017 at 10:17 am

I agree emphatically with Cllr Cross, having witnessed time and time again, rude, personal and ill-judged comments made towards Cllr Parker. I have for some time felt this to be nothing short of bullying but have been told that it is “politics” the implication being that it is, therefore OK?

I have attended a number of meetings, of late via webcast, but admit the on-going and predictable aggressive comments, rolling of eyes and general pack mentality, makes events very difficult to witness.

Thankfully Cllr Parker has broad shoulders, but if councillors wish to encourage young and new people into local politics then they themselves must set a better example.
Harry Eve Reply

February 1, 2017 at 11:34 am

I also agree with Cllr Cross. Politics has no place in local government – but if the leadership insist on playing at politics then can we please have effective opposition to them from all the Lib Dems. We need councillors of all parties to oppose the small clique who are running the council.