Spelthorne's Conservatives block motion deploring Surrey's one-star status

6.11.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st May 2009

At a recent Spelthorne Borough Council meeting Liberal Democrat Councillors led a debate on the shocking failure of Conservative-controlled Surrey County Council to run its Children's services properly. Unfortunately the Conservative majority group refused to criticise Surrey and voted against the motion.

Lib Dem Deputy Leader Ian Beardsmore said "In 18 years as a Councillor the report into the Children's service was the worst I have ever read. Most shocking was the fact that the service did not keep track of around 40 vulnerable children. They were simply lost."

Cllr Colin Strong said "We know the stories about bad pavements and potholed roads. This is a front-line caring service that was not being run properly. Conservative County Councillors showed poor leadership. The discovery that vulnerable children were simply lost was so shocking that it led to Surrey being downgraded to a 1 star Council and rightly so."

The Lib Dems wanted the motion passed to show the strength of feeling across Spelthorne that what happened was deplorable.

Colin explained, "We wanted the Borough Council, on behalf of residents, to condemn the County Council for its total failure to safeguard children. Sadly, Conservative Councillors refused to condemn the County and voted NO to our motion so it was rejected."