The Tory Honeymoon is over

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Aug 2007

Cllr Adrian Vinson

In Southampton, as nationally, the Tory bubble has burst. This is after they had a decidedly shaky start in May, with their Leader so unprepared that he was unable to announce his Cabinet at the Annual Council.

When their Cabinet did finally meet it:

• REDUCED time for public consultation on key decisions;

• FAILED to appoint champions for older people, young people, people with disabilities and the voluntary sector (the last two seem to have been permanently abandoned);

• DECLINED to join key bodies giving Southampton influence over issues raised by economic migration and asylum seekers.

Four Cabinet Members had nothing at all on the Forward Plan for their first four months; the rest had only work started under the Lib Dems. Their one 'innovation' - a Cabinet Member for Workforce Planning - still has no business to bring to Cabinet, and has admitted he has no real powers.

They have announced the demise of the laser gateway, but that had already been agreed with Southampton Partnership by the Lib Dems. Dismayingly the Tories have failed to secure support for an alternative, and apparently lost £250,000 for the city.

They tried to stop the Travellers Transit site, even being prepared to reject nearly £1 million of Government grant in their bid to curry favour in one area by condemning the rest of the city to the continued miseries of illegal encampments. Fortunately this is beyond their powers, and their undeliverable election promise has been exposed.

They have rejected Southampton Education Trust - a broad consortium of local education and business organisations - to set up Southampton's two new schools, in favour of a national organisation committed to 'independent' Academies which may, or may not, be 'faith' schools.

Most of the Tory Cabinet have been councillors for many years. Yet it seems they came to office with no manifesto and no constructive ideas - a flattering endorsement of the Lib. Dem. term of office, but a dismal lack of imagination in a rapidly changing city.