Tory Deputy Leader Attacks ‘Old Guard’ From His Own Group

There is an interesting article in the Lincolnshire Echo (Wednesday 13 April) under the headline “Can voters forget council’s troubled past”. In the article Bernard Theobald, one of the Deputy Leaders of the Conservative administration at County Offices comments about the ‘old guard’ of Conservatives councillors.

“Those people really have no place on Lincolnshire County Council, in my opinion. They may be standing again and the electorate will make up its own mind…

Speaking to constituents in Lincoln, the Labour Group Leader, Councillor Rob Parker, said:

“Bernard Theobald who is now a senior member of the Conservative group is effectively saying that the ‘old guard’ of Conservative councillors needs replacing and he would fully understand if the electors don’t vote for people like them. That shows the split in the Conservative Group. But who are they – this ‘old guard’?

Well we know that former Conservative Leader Jim Speechley can’t stand for election for 5 years following his imprisonment for Misconduct in Public Office.

So that leaves the former Conservative Leader and his Executive team who were forced into resigning following a report by the Audit Commission which labelled the council as ‘weak’ and ‘inadequate’. They could well be seen as the ‘old guard’ who ‘really have no place on Lincolnshire County Council’    Those people are:

Former Leader:  Ian Croft in Bourne Castle

Former Executive Members:               

Denis Hoyes in Woodhall Spa and Wragby

Edward Bliss in Heighington and Washingborough

Brian Knight in Gainsborough Rural South

William Webb in Holbeach Rural

Jean Johnson in Louth Rural North

Roy Chapman in Colsterworth Rural

Dick Edginton in Skegness South

Tony Turner in North Wolds

What is becoming increasingly clear as the discredited ‘old guard’ try to cling on to their council seats is that Ian Croft, Denis Hoyes, Edward Bliss and the rest really do have no place on a forward looking council.  Remember these were the councillors who have been running the council for the last 4 years during which time an Audit Commission report concluded “the council is not behaving in a way required of a modern local authority”.