I’ve been observing the political scene in Cheshire for a good few years and have a reasonable grasp of what’s going down. I don’t always agree but, hey-ho, that’s democracy. You get what you vote for, or so I believed; now I’m not so sure.

Take the fiasco of the waste transfer station at Lyme Green. Over half a million pounds spent on an unauthorised development.

Astounded councillor John Hammond said ‘We are the council, we should be setting an example’. Clearly, Coun Hammond was not privy to this monstrous waste of money but there are almost 80 councillors and they can’t all know everything. These really important decisions involve the inner cabinet (10 members).

If a resolution was made to jump planning regulations, any cabinet member directly affected would need to be consulted wouldn’t they? Apparently not , as in this instance cabinet member Hilda Gaddum, who lives within shouting distance of Lyme Green, didn’t have a clue.

More worrying is the declarations of council leader Wesley Fitzgerald when he stated back in December ‘We are in control of the situation in Cheshire East and I am confident that I and my cabinet can bring in a balanced budget for 2012’. Three weeks later he claimed a £20m saving was needed plus a £7m increase in borrowings. Something of a swing there wouldn’t you say?

So, if councillors don’t know what’s going on, cabinet members aren’t involved and the leader is in the dark, who’s making all the decisions? CEC had a very tough finance director , but he got fired along with an equally strong cabinet member overseeing the devolvement of health services.

Seems like strong cabinet members don’t stay the course in Cheshire East. They are either frozen out or thrown out and then what? Someone decides to spend £500K on an unapproved scheme.

If CEC has so little involvement in council affairs why not make that the first of the cuts? Do we really need councillors who have no idea what’s going on? In these austere times sacrifices must be made and with £20m savings demanded something has to go and a council that knows nothing is top of the list. We should be dealing with the ones who do know.