Hypocrisy

I am grateful to Cllr Ware-Lane for providing a report on the march and rally in Southend High Street in support of 'Saving Local Libraries'.

As I write this, I can still smell the stench from the hypocrisy wafting around town from the seven opposition councillors who attended the rally. I'm sure we will see the pictures in the press tomorrow, with the long faces from the faux outrage.

If residents are expecting the hypocritical seven to stand up for no reductions in the library service then think again, as when they had the chance they didn't want to.

It was never a secret that to produce a balanced budget, reductions were needed to be made from the library service. £126,000 to be precise which was documented in the budget papers which are in the public domain.



What is a little known fact is that the Labour, Lib Dems and Independent Parties put forward an alternative budget which, surprise, surprise, did not include saving libraries. By not proposing it in their alternative budget one can only assume that they supported the saving.



Did they really think that they would get away with it? With over 400 Community libraries up and running in the UK there is no reason why they should not also be a success here in Southend. Am I the only one to think that Labour councillors were compelled to attend the rally by their Union paymasters above their true beliefs? Thought not.