Tories Losing The Plot at Full Council

There are certain council meetings that we’ll always remember, and last night’s was definitely one of them!

The main subject was the 200% rise in the cost of allotment plots, that the Conservative group had unanimously approved in the 2023/24 budget. The Lib Dem & Labour groups tabled a ‘motion without notice’ to suspend normal rules for this meeting to allow the issue to be debated. Our motion was to reverse the 200% rise and instead, change this to an inflation-based increase.

Four and a half hours, and several votes later, and our motion was passed to the delight of a packed council chamber, full of tired, but elated allotment holders.

Lib Dem group leader Paul Zukowskyj, said, “I couldn’t be more delighted for allotment holders! A mistake had clearly been made and if the Tories weren’t going to accept their error, we hade no choice but to make them own it.”

Panshanger Cllr Jane Quinton added, “My original motion had been refused - but in the end residents of Welhat saw that there are councillors who will stand up for them, and we and the Labour group did just that; both tonight and throughout this campaign”

Although the final word should probably go to Moneyhole allotment holder ‘Mac’, who on seeing the final vote, rose to his feet and declared to the chamber, “Power to the people!