Labour – Conservative Disagreements Laid Bare

At the Cheshire East Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday the differences between the previous Conservative administration and the new Labour-Independent administration were highlighted by 3 decisions.

Firstly, Cabinet approved a proposal to investigate setting up a Youth Zone in Crewe. The Conservative leader revealed that a similar proposal had been rejected by the previous administration and two other Conservative councillors argued that the money shouldn’t be spent on youth facilities and that Crewe was the wrong place for a new youth centre.

https://www.onsideyouthzones.org/

Cllr Jill Rhodes said, “I am excited at the prospect of a Youth Zone in Crewe. The fact that the Conservatives rejected a similar proposal shows our different priorities. It is clear from the ‘tartan rug’ showing measures of deprivation that Crewe is the primary place in Cheshire East for a Youth Zone facility. Crewe has been neglected for too long by a Conservative administration. I welcome the new administration’s ambition for bringing top quality youth provision to Crewe.”

Secondly the discussion on the planning SADPD, where the new administration has proposed removing some sites in the green belt that were allocated for housing. The Conservative Leader said that she advised against removing these greenbelt sites from land allocated for housing.

Cllr Nick Mannion said, “The government policies do require us to release land for housing, but the Conservatives want to go further than we think is necessary in releasing green belt land for housing.”

Thirdly, during a discussion on covid-19 a Conservative councillor claimed that the disease was primarily being spread through schools and complained that the council had, where schools requested, allowed parents to wait inside playgrounds rather than crowding around the school gates. The Conservatives want to follow, whereas Labour has been keen to modify and lead on changing government guidance that is putting people at risk unnecessarily.

Cllr Kathryn Flavell, Cabinet member for Children & Families, said, “I am dismayed that a Conservative has used his platform as a councillor to perpetrate misinformation about schools in Cheshire East. There is good evidence that primary age children rarely pass on covid-19 and I have seen no evidence of schools in Cheshire East being a significant cause of infection. I would like to keep schools open during this second wave if possible, to avoid more harmful disruption to our children’s education and wellbeing, and to help protect their futures.”

Cllr Sam Corcoran, the Labour Leader of Cheshire East Council, said, “I have been working hard to avoid the need for a formal, government imposed lockdown, by reaching out to central government and suggesting measures that will help stop the spread. The sooner we act the easier it is to bring the outbreak under control and the fewer measures will be needed. Sadly, the Conservatives did not support the appeals made on 22 September for more powers over establishments that were not following the rules and the request for resources to enhance the local tracing capacity. Since then the infection rate has continued to rise sharply.”