Resignation call over wardens

2.18.11pm GMT Wed 26th Dec 2007

Calls have been made for the resignation of Conservative Basingstoke & Deane Borough Councillor Stephen West after further revelations of 'flip-flop'.

Councillor West spoke and voted at an overview committee in favour of axing the community wardens before claiming in a press release to have saved the wardens only to vote to axe wardens at the next council meeting.

The latest twist in the saga is an email sent by Councillor West, where he claimed to have "strongly opposed" the move to axe Community Wardens "from the outset".

Councillor West's astonishing claim is made in an email he sent out on Tuesday 4th December. Exposing deep divisions in the Conservative Group the email says: "The administration has been under considerable pressure over this not just from opposition groups but from within the ruling Conservative group. Both myself and Cllr Musson have privately strongly opposed this move from the outset."

On the Council's webcast, commenting on pleas by Tadley Town Council to keep the wardens, Councillor West says keeping the wardens "goes against every consultation, every meeting, every email, every discussion that I've had with any one in my community". However, in his press release Councillor West says: "Every letter and phone call that Councillor West received were in support of keeping community wardens".

Cllr Paula Baker, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at Basingstoke & Deane said: "Councillor West ought to consider his position and resign. It is simply absurd for him to carry on."

"Serious questions must be raised about the running of the Council. The Conservatives issued a press release saying the paper on the wardens had been shelved because assurances were needed from the Police about long term funding and deployment of Police Community Safety Officers. But both in this email and in the press Councillor West implies the paper was withdrawn because of his personal intervention. The Leader of the Council needs to confirm which version of events is correct."