TWO independent candidates have quit the ruling Wokingham Borough Partnership citing difficulties with their relationship with the Liberal Democrats.
In a letter sent to the council’s chief executive, Susan Parsonage, on Tuesday, March 21, Cllr Jim Frewin and Cllr Gary Cowan said they made the decision to withdraw “with deep regret, disappointment and after much consideration”.
The letter starts with a reminder that the independents had two red lines ahead of entering the partnership: the local plan and independent voting.
Both issues have caused the independents grief.
“The partnership has failed to relieve the fundamental inequality of its predecessor’s proposals for housing development,” the councillors wrote. “It has refused to debate a residents’ petition … it has repeatedly failed to share information with its partners.”
The councillors say they have been challenged over their voting in council meetings.
“The most recent being a complaint that independents voted against the budget, which is not true,” they add.
Other issues they raise include “applying Lib Dem party pressure on an independent to stand down at the next election”. The way this was handled, they say, felt like bullying.
The Lib Dems are also accused of “failing to provide, on time, complete and accurate set of information across a number of decisions”. This, they said, went against the council’s constitution and ignored a complaint raised earlier in the administration’s life.
The pair also took a swipe at the council as an institution, saying it was veiled in secrecy, and needed to do more to be open and transparent.
“It needs to show that despite differences in views and parties, members can work collaboratively in partnership for the public good, not just the benefit of one individual or party,” they wrote.
Despite quitting the partnership, the pair said: “We will continue to support the partnership principles, even when others appear not to.”
The decision comes during a week of crunch meetings, including a full council gathering on Thursday, where the agenda includes the handing in of a petition over plans to axe weekly waste collections.
And with the partnership no longer able to rely on the independents’ votes, it could mean the Conservative opposition’s amendments are carried as they have more councillors than the partnership.
Thursday’s meeting is the final one before the start of purdah ahead of May’s local elections.
Wokingham Conservatives will be looking to buck the national trend, which has seen the party lose byelections consistently since partygate. In last May’s local elections, they lost five seats in Wokingham which saw they fall short of a majority by one.
The ruling partnership now comprises 23 Lib Dem councillors with support from three Labour ones , two short of a majority.
With a Liberal Democrat mayor the partnership will have the casting vote in the event of any tie.
