The Lib Dems achieved a majority and took control. Having done that, they seemed quite bemused, especially as they had made serious claims of what they would achieve, with little clue how to do that, one prime example being the astonishing undertaking to create significant council housing numbers.

At the time of the election, I was lead member for North Street, having recently been appointed to that role. In those few months, I pushed for the long-overdue resurfacing of North Street, encouraged M&G [major North Street freehold owners] to demolish most unsightly buildings, and engaged (among others) with the Berkeley Group for a joint venture.

After the election, I offered several times to meet with Caroline Reeves and colleagues to do a proper handover, but that fell on deaf ears.

At that point, John Rigg, a fellow chartered surveyor, was pushing to get on with the TCMP [Town Centre Master Plan] (including North Street) and many regeneration projects, but he was clearly stifled for about a year.

Following the link-up between the Lib Dems and R4GV, things have much improved, and John clearly now has the reins and is progressing professionally on a wide range of schemes to the benefit of the community.

But that was a totally wasted year, the frustrating period Gillian is referring to.

Now the time has come for Gillian to stop blaming everything on the previous Conservative administration. After two years, it’s about time for the present administration to hold their hands up.