B&NES Conservatives announce Shadow Cabinet team

02/06/2011

Conservatives in Bath and North East Somerset have revealed the top team of Councillors of who will be keeping the authority's Liberal Democrat administration in-check over the comings months and years.

The Conservatives have announced a team of Councillors who will directly shadow the Liberal Democrats' Cabinet Members on the Council and act as spokespersons on the relating portfolio areas. The team of eight Shadow Cabinet Councillors represent areas across the authority and combine both experience and new talent.

The result at the local elections left both the Conservative and Liberal Democrats with 29 Councillors each. Although the Conservatives gained the highest share of the vote, Labour's five Councillors chose to back the Liberal Democrats to run the Council at a meeting last month.

The Conservatives' eight Shadow Cabinet Members are:

· Cllr Francine Haeberling – Conservative Group Leader

· Cllr Charles Gerrish – Community Resources spokesperson

· Cllr Tony Clarke – Early Years, Children, and Youth spokesperson

· Cllr Vic Pritchard – Wellbeing spokesperson

· Cllr Les Kew - Homes and Planning spokesperson

· Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones - Sustainable Development spokesperson

· Cllr Martin Veal - Neighbourhoods spokesperson (inc. Leisure, Culture, Waste and Environmental Services, Community Safety)
With Cllr Brian Simmons acting as spokesperson on Waste matters

· Cllr Tim Warren – Transport spokesperson

In addition, Councillors Malcolm Hanney and Chris Watt, who sat on the previous B&NES Cabinet and have extensive experience in business, will work with and advise the shadow spokespersons as Shadow Cabinet members without portfolio.

Conservative Leader Cllr Francine Haeberling said:

"With 29 Councillors, the same number as the Liberal Democrats, we will be able to provide a strong opposition to keep in check the Council's Lib Dem administration. Our aim will be to deliver a robust, but also constructive, opposition on the Council. We will stand up for the whole area and hold the Liberal Democrats to account where we do not feel they are acting in the interests of local residents, but also support the Council's policies where we believe it is the right thing for local people.

"We are lucky to have a Shadow Cabinet team which combines experience with fresh ideas and which will be able to articulate a positive vision for our local area. Clearly the Council will be facing significant challenges in the years ahead in delivering the best possible services within an increasingly tight budget, whilst also delivering the economic growth our area needs. Over the coming months we will be carefully scrutinising the decisions of the Lib Dem Cabinet and ensuring the priorities of local residents are listened to."