St Velentine's Day massacre condemned by Lib Dems leader (Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats)

Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats <info@barnetlibdems.org.uk>

St Velentine's Day massacre condemned by Lib Dems leader

February 15, 2011 5:19 PM

The St Valentine's day massacre is how Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Jack Cohen is describing Monday's Barnet Council Cabinet decisions to slash millions of pounds from front line services. Cllr Cohen says residents suffered a double whammy: cuts in services, coupled with inflation busting rises in residents' parking permits and visitors' vouchers. Cllr Cohen does not accept the Tory Administrations mantra that there are no alternatives. "I know real savings can be made, for example by tackling the culture of spending millions of pounds on consultants and cutting top officers' pay."

Cllr Cohen, who attended the cabinet meeting along with scores of irate residents, says he was "appalled" by the behaviour of Tory Cabinet Members. He described the Cabinet meeting as a charade and reminiscent of the old Eastern Bloc Show Trials. Cllr Cohen called attempts to pretend there was a proper debate going on "cringe making"

"It was obvious that they were all reading out from prepared scripts."

Commenting on the earlier sudden adjournment of the meeting because members of the public were shouting out, Cllr Cohen said he was astonished. "Tory Cabinet members should learn to grow up. If they cannot take a bit of heckling then they should not be in politics"