Breaking News There Will Be No Coalition In Hereford!

[Colin James]

Herefordshire's Council's independent group will not be forming a coalition with the Tories in Hereford! Expect an official announcement sometime tomorrow.

 

Remember you heard it first on Hereford Voice!

 

[dippyhippy]

Ten out of ten Colin!

Superb - thanks for posting this most elusive of updates!!

[Glenda Powell]

Someone leaked our decision to H&W radio, so yes I can confirm there will be NO COALITION BETWEEN THE TORY'S AND INDEPENDENTS! You will be able to read our full press release in either the Journal and HT this week!

[H.Wilson]

Well done Colin HV first again, Fiona will not be pleased.

[Bill Thomas]

HV make the announcements again before the HT well done Colin.

[Adrian Pitt]

Well done Jamer a HV exclusive lol you sound like a real editor now 

[Adrian Pitt]

Someone leaked our decision to H&W radio, so yes I can confirm there will be NO COALITION BETWEEN THE TORY'S AND INDEPENDENTS! You will be able to read our full press release in either the Journal and HT this week!

 

I think they should send the media release to HV too.

[dippyhippy]

I think they should send the media release to HV too.

Absolutely agree, Adrian!

Hereford Voice is fast becoming THE place to visit for up to date news!

 

Any word on how the Conservatives view this outcome??

[dippyhippy]

Well done Colin HV first again, Fiona will not be pleased.

H, you are, I believe, quite correct!

Ffffffffiona will be Fffffflipping Ffffffuming!!!!!

[Glenda Powell]

Adrian, If you look on the other post Hereford Times News, I said I would send it to HV the same time it goes onto my website. No response from the Tory's yet!

[Adrian Pitt]

Adrian, If you look on the other post Hereford Times News, I said I would send it to HV the same time it goes onto my website. No response from the Tory's yet!

 

I apologise, I had not seen that.

[Frank Smith]

Ten out of ten Colin!

Superb - thanks for posting this most elusive of updates!!

 

Well done HV

[Jim Kenyon]

I'm personally very pleased the Indy's have come to this decision it is the right one and I do look forward to building relationships with them so when the time comes we can do the right thing for Herefordshire and that is putting it first with the best local policies that work and not national ones that the Tories are ruining our county with.

[Biomech]

Wey! Well done, you most certainly made the right choice.

 

I can't wait for the ass to fall out of the tories now.

 

United we stand United we... keep standing

[John Harrington]

Well said Jim.

 

I'm personally very pleased the Indy's have come to this decision it is the right one and I do look forward to building relationships with them so when the time comes we can do the right thing for Herefordshire and that is putting it first with the best local policies that work and not national ones that the Tories are ruining our county with.

[Alex]

Another good exclusive Colin, best decision made.

[dippyhippy]

Just out of interest, because I am a nosy so and so, was anything "extra" put on the table, during these lengthy negotiations??

It makes not one jot of difference now, I am just curious how far the Conservatives were willing to shift on their position - if at all!!

[ragwert]

Someone leaked our decision to H&W radio, so yes I can confirm there will be NO COALITION BETWEEN THE TORY'S AND INDEPENDENTS! You will be able to read our full press release in either the Journal and HT this week!

I fail to see the secrecy about this Glenda and you know what happens when that word is used

[ragwert]

Just out of interest, because I am a nosy so and so, was anything "extra" put on the table, during these lengthy negotiations??

It makes not one jot of difference now, I am just curious how far the Conservatives were willing to shift on their position - if at all!!

Up against the wall?

[Glenda Powell]

Ragwert, There was no secrecy the Independents do not work like that, it was the fact that being the weekend we could not advise Cllr Johnson of our decision and felt it only fair that he was told before he read it in the press release. As I said the information was leaked, and out of courteousy Colin advised me he knew, and that he was going to put an announcement on here!

 

Dippy, yes we were offered incentives to join them, and then they went back on it, but it would of made no difference, we had contacted the electorate in all of our wards we represent, and they said Not to join them, and we went with our constituent wishes.

[dippyhippy]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Glenda!

Are you in a position to say what those incentives were??

Like I say, I am just very nosy!!

[Glenda Powell]

Two cabinet posts and a third in spring next year, also chair / vice chair of  scrutiny committees, but as I said we were not interested, they needed us more than we need them! It didn't matter to me what the offers were I made it very clear I wasn't interested at our meeting on Saturday and would be voting against the coalition.

[Colin James]

Adrian, If you look on the other post Hereford Times News, I said I would send it to HV the same time it goes onto my website. No response from the Tory's yet!

 

CVP I never received the press release..

[Glenda Powell]

I didn't send it simply because I thought one of our estemed bloggers from the HT would put it on here. I noticed its on facebook

[dippyhippy]

Two cabinet posts and a third in spring next year, also chair / vice chair of  scrutiny committees, but as I said we were not interested, they needed us more than we need them! It didn't matter to me what the offers were I made it very clear I wasn't interested at our meeting on Saturday and would be voting against the coalition.

Thanks for posting this Glenda!

 

Please don't ever wait for me to cut and stick something on here from HT, I just wouldn't have a clue!!

[Biomech]

 yes we were offered incentives to join them,

 

 

So after stating that there was a set deadline and the offer was non-negotiable... they changed the deadline and tried to negotiate other terms.

 

They don't even have the integrity to stand by their own words when claiming to be working for a better Hereford, no wonder the public have no faith thin them what so ever. By changing the terms they've only made themselves look even more desperate

[Adrian Bridges]

Here it is a bit late as i have been away for a couple of days without internet access.

 

Herefordshire’s Independent group have given very careful consideration to the invitation from the Conservative group to form a coalition including a minority of cabinet posts.

 

The Independent group, as always, has focussed on protecting and promoting Herefordshire as the prime requirement for any decision we make.  We have taken the time to listen carefully to the proposition, have consulted widely in our existing and prospective wards and openly debated the proposed coalition today. The unanimous outcome is that the Independent group should decline the invitation.

 

The reasoning supporting this decision is that our group felt that this has been proposed too late and provides far too little particularly at this stage of the current councils lifespan. It is unfortunate that the offer of a "Golden Coalition of all the talents" was not made at the beginning of this Council in 2011. The current proposal appears to be driven by a desperate and disingenuous attempt to cling on to power following the recent loss of overall control.

 

The Independent group will, as ever, support all that is good for Herefordshire and will advise, co-operate, warn and oppose when appropriate.  We intend to continue promoting positive and constructive policies for our county and will protect the electorate and council employees wherever possible from the recent and future excesses of the current administration particularly given the dreadful state of Herefordshire Council’s finances.

 

The Conservatives, and ‘It’s Our County’ are registered political parties who are funded externally, are constrained by party dogma and we also believe they are open to the influences of groups and individuals from outside Herefordshire. The Herefordshire Independent group contains individuals whose clear and transparent motives are quite simply whatever is best for Herefordshire.

 

Herefordshire Independents believe in a stable economic future for the county which can only be delivered through tighter control of the council’s assets, revenue and costs and a clear programme to improve the county’s infrastructure including reconsideration of the proposed Link Road,  improved passenger and freight rail transport, an Eastern by-pass for Hereford City, development of new employment at The Rotherwas Enterprise Zone, and smaller sites in Ledbury, Bromyard and Ross on Wye and sympathetic development of sufficient protected affordable and social housing to accommodate the workforce that these new jobs will attract.

 

The Conservative group have already set the council’s budget for the next financial year. During the remaining few months of the Conservative leadership of the administration, the Independent group will continue to support only the policies and actions that we believe are helpful to the future of the county. All future spending will be carefully scrutinised and vigorously opposed if it does not provide the very best value for money and meets our criteria for the development of the county’s economy. It is hoped that the other opposition members consent to apply our joint numerical advantage to good effect.

 

Only the Independent group provides unbiased vision and commitment to deliver tangible progress in the areas that will secure the future of Herefordshire. Over the coming months the Independent group will release a set of simple but effective policies which will provide the positive underpinning vision to kick start the county’s growth and drive Herefordshire forward over the next 5 and 10 years. Our policies will be transparently originated, clearly presented, fully costed and will meet the aspirations of growth and improvement expected by and deserving of the people of Herefordshire.

 

Some members of the Council will tell you that ‘It’s Our County’, The Independent Group faithfully assure you that it’s actually YOUR County and we are here to secure it for you.

[Jim Kenyon]

As I stated earlier I'm glad the Indy's have made the right decision it took me exactly 3 minutes to make my personal independent reply to cllr tiny Johnson and its our county my group weren't far behind now let's get on with holding this administration to account only today they bulldozed through a crap decision at overview and scrutiny to give the cabinet a free run to sign us up to a waste contract which in my opinion the worst option and will cost us millions for years to come we need to stop squabbling and sort them out before its to late.

[dippyhippy]

Well said Jim!