Nancy Matthews

 A report into the future education provision in Flintshire carried out by the Wales Audit Office and presented to the Council’s Executive last month (August 5^th, 2008) exposes yet more Labour failures local Lib Dems have claimed. The report highlights the lack of planning by the previous Labour administration, the absence of a strategy to address the future provision of education across the County and key decisions put off by an Executive “lacking the morale fibre” to tackle the big issues say the Lib Dems. 

The Audit Office also identified that in addition to a backlog of £35million of work needed to improve the condition of schools and to address disability access, the full cost of the work required to make Flintshire schools fit for purpose remains unknown. 

Additionally, spending on Flintshire schools was forecast to be among the lowest in Wales at £215 per pupil compared to an average across the country of £400. 

Cllr Carolyn Cattermoul, Lib Dem Education spokesperson, said: “This report is a damning indictment of the previous Labour run Executive and exposes yet more failures and their lack of morale fibre when faced with making tough decisions. 

“Slowly, but surely, the skeletons are beginning to emerge from the cupboards as the full extent of Labour’s mismanagement at County Hall is gradually becoming known to the new Executive. 

“The scale of the task facing the new Coalition administration is a huge one but I am confident that collectively we can rise to the challenge and under Arnold Woolley’s leadership we can turn these problems around. 

“We have had to listen to constant sniping and petty attacks from the Labour party since their fall from power in May. 

“But faced with the growing evidence of the failings on their watch and under Cllr Shotton’s leadership, maybe it is time for them to take a long hard look at their own performance over the past ten years before commenting further on ours over the last four months.”

ENDS