Run Away Conservative Hythe Councillor Oliver was also a Councillor in Somerset!

The Liberal Democrats have slammed news that Conservative Linda Oliver was a Councillor at her new home near Bath for over 6 months while continuing to sit as a Shepway District and Hythe Town Councillor for Hythe West. Liberal Democrat campaigner Neil Matthews has called the news "beyond a joke" and has called on the Conservatives to apologise for not telling local residents and refusing to force Councillor Oliver to resign as a Shepway Councillor for 18 months after she left the area.

Linda Oliver became a Councillor on Norton St Philip Parish Council near Bath in September 2008 - but continued to sit as a Shepway District and Hythe Town Councillor until April 2009. Run-away Hythe West Conservative Councillor Linda Oliver moved to Somerset in late 2007.

During that period, Councillor Oliver received over £4,000 in Council Allowances from Shepway Council.

Neil Matthews, Liberal Democrat campaigner for Hythe said:

"Linda Oliver remained a Councillor in Hythe until just a few weeks ago. Did the Conservatives in Shepway know that Cllr Oliver was also a Councillor in Somerset for the last six months? Why have they not told local people?

"For Linda Oliver to become a Councillor where she lives near Bath while still remaining a Councillor in Hythe rubs salt into the wounds. The local Conservatives have tried in vain to defend her receiving over £4,000 in Council Allowances while rarely attending meetings in Hythe and living nearly 200 miles away. Surely even they can't try to defend the split loyalties of her becoming a councillor in Somerset at the same time as refusing to resign her seats in Hythe? To do so would be beyond a joke."

"The Conservatives owe Hythe an apology. Councillor Oliver should have done the honourable thing when they moved away from the area and resigned then or soon after. The Conservatives even promised this would happen on their own web site. For them to cling onto the seat for almost 18 months and try to claim nothing wrong is simply arrogant, out of touch and taking the residents of Hythe for granted."

ENDS

Councillor Linda Oliver is listed as a Parish Councillor for Norton St Philip on the Parish Council web site at http://www.nortonstphilip.p-c.org.uk/pages/councillors.html

The minutes of the 11th September meeting where Linda Oliver was elected to the Parish Council are at http://www.nortonstphilip.p-c.org.uk/pages/minutes/08_09_11.pdf

A map showing Norton St Philip can be found at http://tinyurl.com/q5asfs

Neil Matthews can be contacted on neil@shepwaylibdems.org.uk or call on 07977 208584.