Do-nothing councillors

Sonia Gable | Saturday, 7 April 2007 Source: Searchlight

The three BNP councillors in Dewsbury and Heckmondwike also sat in silence through the six-hour budget debate on Kirklees Council and ignored all the votes. After coming under fire for failing local people by not speaking at important meetings, they claimed that there is no point because they have no sway with any other party.

Councillor Kath Pinnock, a senior Liberal Democrat, said: "The budget meeting is the best opportunity any councillor has to speak up for local people and get changes in the way the council spends funds.

"But the three BNP councillors sat for six hours and none of them, not even their leader, said anything. So all the changes they say they want have been exposed as empty promises. Given the chance, they choose to say and do absolutely nothing.

"What is so pathetic is that they have failed on three counts. They failed to make any suggestions to change the budget; they failed to speak during the debate; and then they even failed to vote, even to abstain, on any of the five proposals put to the meeting.

"They can't claim it is because there are only three BNP councillors. The three Green councillors proposed, and succeeded in making, major changes to the budget. What is the point of the BNP if, when they have the chance, they do absolutely nothing?"

For the BNP, Councillor Colin Auty said the BNP was hoping to get seven or eight councillors elected in May and Councillor David Exley labelled the budget meeting "a sham".