ESSEX TORIES IN DISSARAY

3.14.49pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Apr 2007

Commenting on news that Cllr Rodney Bass, cabinet member for highways and transportation has resigned from the cabinet and that Cllr Mark Cossens and Cllr Pierre Oxley have resigned from the Conservative group at county hall, with Cllr Cossens also sacked as chair of the Corporate policy development group, Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes said:

"Clearly Essex Tories are in disarray; to misquote Oscar Wilde, 'To lose one senior councillor may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose several looks more than careless.' The news that Cllr Rodney Bass has resigned from the cabinet after a failed leadership bid, and the sacking of a prominent Tory councillor as chairman of the council's Corporate policy development group, shows all is not well amongst Essex's Conservatives. It signifies that despite all the emphasis on the new compassionate Tory party, deep divisions clearly remain with more emphasis on personal and factional agendas rather than serving the community."

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Liberal Democrats at county hall are calling for a new direction in policy and attitude after the announcement that Cllr Rodney Bass is resigning as cabinet member for highways and transportation at Essex County Council.

Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, leader of the Liberal Democrats group commented: "With Cllr Bass's departure the Liberal Democrats will be seeking changes to policies where he has been unwilling to listen to residents' concerns; a particular case in point is his decision to switch off street lights between midnight and 5am. We trust a new cabinet member will be more open to the views of the police and the community regarding public safety issues."