Contrary to Cheshire East’s favourite maxim, lessons have NOT been learned.
In every political scandal cover ups and denials do more damage than disclosure. Would MPs’ expenses have created such a huge collapse in public confidence had they made a full and frank admission at the outset?
Continual denials about the installation of a waste transfer station at Lyme Green, compounded by disingenuous explanations, destroyed all trust and credibility in Cheshire East.
Having blown more than £800K of public funds on this debacle, CEC authorised a report estimating the fee to be £100k before revealing the true cost of £225k, which was either misleading or inept but definitely not confidence inspiring.
It beggars belief that our council leader should expect residents, who paid for this, to take his word that all matters have been dealt with competently rather than grant full access to the report’s findings.
After all CEC’s denials and obfuscation, does it really think the public will simply accept its word and ‘move on’? It’s not going to happen.
We hear now that council members are unlikely to have access to the full unabridged account.
So if residents, who forked out £225k for this report, and democratically elected councillors can’t see it – who can?
If the public are too dumb and councillors untrustworthy, who are the elite few granted access?
Is there some inner cabal of superior intellects or just a bunch of nodding dogs who can be relied upon to tow the party line?
Had the truth been told from the outset, no one beyond Lyme Green would remember anything about this fiasco. The issue would have been dead and buried long ago.
It’s the continuous claims of ‘transparency’ from a council terrified of disclosing the full facts that stokes the fires of distrust.
It’s time the whole truth was told.
The consequences of full disclosure will be as nothing compared to the long-term mistrust of the electorate.
