The First TEN Reasons not to vote Conservative in Shepway

"New council: Same Old Tories": that's the conclusion many reached on Wednesday night as Shepway's newly appointed Council Leader Tory Robert Bliss announced an increase in the size of the Shepway Cabinet from 7 to 10. That move will put around £25,000 a year into the pockets of Conservative Councillors - a total of around £100,000 in the next four years.

The Council Constitution allows for a cabinet of between 3 and 10 Councillors. A Cabinet member gets paid £8,388 on top of their basic Councillors allowance of £3,684 a year. Last year there were 7 Cabinet members including the leader - by increasing the size to the maximum permissible, the Conservative leaderships decision will cost £25,164 in the first year.

Lib Dem Group Leader Lynne Beaumont was clear:

"The first move of this Council is to cost taxpayers another £25,000 a year AND reduce the numbers on key committees, which has no impact on reducing costs but DOES reduce opposition representation on those committees. What an appalling start to the new term by the Conservatives.

"The Lib Dem Group refused to back Robert Bliss as Council Leader, as we knew his first proposal was to cost Shepway more - and for no good reason. This is money which goes straight into the pockets of Conservative Councillors, instead of being spent directly on improving local services."

The newly announced cabinet was:

• Leader: Cllr Robert Bliss
• Deputy Leader and Finance: Cllr David Monk
• Planning: Cllr Hugh Barker
• Housing: Cllr Karen Belcourt
• Customer Services: Cllr P Carr
• Environmental Services: Cllr Rory Love
• Licencing and Enforcement: Cllr Shirley Newlands
• Revenues and Benefits: Cllr Alan North
• Technical Affairs and Whip: Cllr W Richardson
• Community Regeneration: Cllr Carole Waters

Cabinet portfolios for 2006-07, immediately before the election, were limited to Community Services, Environmental Services, Corporate Services, Strategy and Leadership, Tourism and Leisure, Economic Development & Housing.