Local MP Tessa was joined by Nick Clegg, Paddy Ashdown and other Somerset MP’s Jeremy Browne, David Laws and David Heath last Saturday in Highbridge to launch the Lib Dem campaign to take control of Somerset County Council in May.
Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Lib Dems Nick Clegg said “I am delighted to be joining Tessa, Paddy and our amazing Somerset team in Highbridge, including our brilliant candidate for the Highbridge & Burnham Marine District Council seat in the upcoming by-election, Helen Groves”
On 2nd May, Somerset’s residents will choose who they want to run their County Council. After four years of wasting taxpayers’ money, making savage cuts to services and staff, and selling off ‘the family silver’, later this year Somerset people will have a chance to elect new County Councillors with common sense. 
Highbridge and Burnham Marine by-election candidate Helen Groves has expressed her enthusiasm for the Deputy Prime Minister visiting saying “it was great to be able to discuss in person some of the problems we face.”
Well-known Somerset resident Paddy Ashdown said “Compared with other counties, Somerset received a generous grant from Government during the last few years. But the swingeing cuts made to vital services are unprecedented and unnecessary. Everyone knows the financial climate is tough and we have to be sensible with money – but the Conservatives at County Hall are irresponsible and ideologically driven.”
Tessa added “Instead of making sensible savings by sharing more ‘back office’ facilities, the Conservatives went straight in, cutting vital services like our libraries, buses, Police Community Support Officers, youth services, resources for young carers and selling County farms. This is not the only way to save money. Thank goodness local people will have the chance to vote for change in May!”
She continued “The continuous waste resulting from poor decision-making is, quite frankly, distressing. Our beautiful county has been blighted by a 65% increase in fly-tipping, when nationally there’s a decrease of 9%. This is just one example of the Conservative Councillors’ short term thinking and failure to consider the consequences of their actions. Somerset’s residents deserve more – a County Council with common sense.”
Tessa Munt
13th January 2012
Well, I’m a long time LD voter. Makes me just about retch to read this drivel.
Chris Mullins was right… ” Nick Clegg, the biggest charlatan of them all…”
Sharing back office functions…, that hoariest of all old chestnuts. Did anyone ever tell you that the library service already does. It’s called LIbraries West.
Go on then, post this if you dare.
Andrew Preston