For some reason that now escapes me I devoted a whole afternoon to following East Cheshire’s council meeting live on Twitter .
It’s not something I’d recommend to anyone who has a life. Prospective Conservative MP David Rutley turned up (that’ll teach him).
Thankfully the entertaining banter between Councillor Beckford and Express reporter Ben Turner kept me from drifting into a comatose state. The Sandbach Allotment Society had a grievance: apparently there are no allotments in Sandbach. Fair point.
Councillor Keegan reported a £2.9M shortfall in the council budget. (Failing to mention the impact of running a £150K Bentley or the gigantic salaries paid to senior officers.)
Things livened up somewhat when it came to the subject of town centre parking charges.
You probably recall these were to be ‘harmonised’.
You may have (foolishly) thought this meant making parking charges the same everywhere but you, my friend, would be wrong. It may have meant that until the council realised the strength of opposition: it now means ‘fair’ everywhere.
Deflecting complaints council leader Wesley Fitzgerald said, "We will do it our way," and at that moment I wanted him to stand up and sing:
Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do.
And saw it through without exemption.
Cock ups we’ve had a few
The Bentley car we never mention
We bought it on the drip
Although it caused a lot of tension
We’ve planned some great road works
We’ve dug up each and every byway
But more, much more than this,
We blocked the highway.
Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When we didn’t have a clue.
But through it all, when there was doubt.
We just laid low and bluffed it out
The record shows you took the blows
That headed my way."
Sadly, it didn’t happen and apart from a young man appearing in the in the public gallery wearing a woolly hat that was it.
The views expressed are Vic Barlow’s and not necessarily those of the Express
