Poor value for money at Cambridgeshire County Council under leadership of Lucy Nethsingha, Liberal Democrat Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council

Failures to operate procurement well, will almost undoubtedly guarantee poor value for money for Taxpayers as they pick up the bill. Unfortunate fairy tales comes to Cambridgeshire, in a comparison with Goldilocks and the three bears, as residents on June 27th learn how procurement is mis managed under the County Joint Administration. Like Goldilocks voyage of discovery, Strategy and Resources committee are asked to vote for the first procurement paper which is not ready, the second which is not sufficiently scoped and the third which is unfortunately too late. Sadly, like all manner of things under the Liberal Democrats this is likely to hit residents in the purse, when the County signs of potentially poor value, or poor quality contracts. Unlike the fairy-tale, there is no happy ending where the Little Girl runs off never to be seen again; as the Joint Administration continue like a bear in a China shop, to smash and destroy what was until quite recently an efficient organisation, under the Conservative administration.

Conservatives continue to fight against democracy dodging by the Liberal Democrat led coalition of chaos.

More and more work is designed to be handled by the Joint administration behind closed doors, out of the view of the public. Deliberately distorting and eliminating a lack of political scrutiny as they bend the rules to suit themselves. We ask that the plethora of working groups they set up be politically proportionate as a minimum, to gain some small crumb of credibility. We may not have enough votes to stop them but raising the issue with the public about the lack of transparency is vital for Local Government to have credibility. The Chief Executive Stephen Moir recently announced a governance review which we hope will pick up on democracy dodging by the Joint Administration, as evidenced by proposals such as these.

Another tier of Government sought by Labour and Liberal Democrats as they fail at decision making

In their fluffy, incoherent decentralisation paper, going to strategy and resources committee, June 27th. The joint administration they not only fail to articulate their policies, or what they will deliver, they fail to back them as well. In terms of actions, the paper could only be generously described as no more than a “think piece” , failing to match the ambitions set out by The Conservatives from their “Place Based works” strategy. Unfortunately, Liberal Democrats in a reflective piece of naval gazing, hit on the truth that as perennial fence sitters, they are unable to actually come to any decisions. Their solution, to create another tier of local bureaucracy of decision making. Proof of the pudding, “Place based works” was underway when they took over in May 2021. Thirteen months later in June 2022, still nothing solid to replace it!

Liberal Democrats and Labour to spend up to £4m of Taxpayers money, more for Senior Management.

At strategy and resources June 27th we heard Liberal Democrat and Labour plans to spend up to £4m to more for pay increases and a restructured increase of Senior Management. The joint administration, having previously planned to abandon all senior shared working arrangements, have had their wrecking ball policy, watered down by new Chief Executive Stephen Moir. He is Valiantly attempting to bolt the stable door after the horse has bolted, however the resultant restructure and pay increases will soon eat through the £4m of Cambridgeshire Taxpayers money, set aside by the joint administration. An unnecessary year of uncertainty, poor moral and a mass resignation since the Joint Administration announced “ No New senior (Director level and above) appointments shared with Peterborough”., is the cause. But now, after thirteen months, they are finally forced to recognise and climb down from their previously ill-informed and ill thought through stance. Unfortunately for Cambridgeshire, too little too late.

Conservative proposals to refund over £10m to taxpayers in Cambridgeshire

Conservatives propose to refund over £10m to Cambridgeshire Tax payers. The Liberal Democrat led joint administration has put money into reserves, failed to deliver over £100m of revenue services and capital  projects and over-estimated and charged for Adult social care budgets, now known to be unnecessary. Earlier calls by Conservatives, at the budget meeting in February, “We say no to council Tax increases”, have been proved to be well founded and accurate, whereas Joint administration earlier claim the Tax increases imposed, “were vital to protect front line services”, has been proven to be the exaggeration we always knew it to be.