Car parking charges and party loyalty - Letter to Congleton Chronicle

9.13.42pm GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

Dear Sir,

The Conservative Cheshire East Councillors who attended the public meeting on Tuesday, 26th January organised by the organisation, no2Parking Charges in Congleton clearly showed their discomfort to everyone present. They are the elected representatives of the town in which charging for parking is to be implemented on the 15th February. Even they implied that it would be a disaster for the Town and they would change it if they could.

However, what have they actually done to change it and prevent this calamity? It seems that they put loyalty to their party before the interest of their electorate. All the Conservative Councillors on Cheshire East Council voted in favour of charges when they voted last February in favour of receiving £375,000 income from the former Congleton Borough car parks during the budget setting process.

It is not good enough for them to hide behind the weight of the numbers of councillors stacked against them from Macclesfield and Crewe. It is their party's policy to introduce charges. This was not included in their manifesto for election (they would not have won so many seats) and so should not have been subject to a party loyalties.

If they feel strongly enough about the harm these measures will have on Congleton, perhaps they should consider whether they still want to remain members of the conservative group.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Peter Hirst

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Congleton

Rushton Drive

Middlewich