In his Opinion piece of 16 April, Cllr Akberali says, in relation to Woking Borough Council’s bankruptcy, that “Woking residents deserve honesty”.

Perhaps he could try to set an example.

The fundamental truth is that, from 2007 onwards through the disastrous decisions made by the council, the Conservatives had majority control and alone ran the council’s decision-making Executive.

Accordingly, the Conservatives, and only the Conservatives, bear sole primary responsibility for those decisions – their effective decision to allow Ray Morgan as the council’s then chief executive a free hand was a gross failure of political leadership.

Mr Akberali’s argument that the Liberal Democrats share such primary responsibility is utterly false – as was the claim by a Labour spokesman at a recent online hustings that during this period there was a “Conservative/Lib Dem coalition”.

In fairness, it can be argued that those non-Conservative councillors who voted for individual projects bear some sort of secondary responsibility.

But against this it is also true that the Conservatives, in recommending these projects, assured councillors that the council had the financial and staff resources to bring them to fruition, and it is manifestly clear in retrospect that this was simply untrue.

The important fact to note is that it is the Liberal Democrat administration, which was elected with overwhelming public support once the facts became known, has made an impressive effort to solve the problems they inherited, and have been supported in their efforts by Will Forster as the new local MP in persuading the Government to write off a significant part of Woking Council’s indebtedness.

Philip Goldenberg

Former Lib Dem councillor 1984-92 and 2003-08

How refreshing to read Cllr Akberali’s article in the News & Mail as I too have grown tired of the Liberal Democrats constantly going on about the mess they inherited from the Tories as if they were totally blameless.

We both know that this is not the case as they were supposed to be the opposition, but I think John Bond did more to oppose the Tories’ overly ambitious projects and excessive borrowing.

I recall him being ridiculed for having the audacity to suggest that the council was borrowing and spending too much money, which could only result in disaster.

I have spent many years opposing Tory policies and actions that bordered on the unlawful but I usually got totally ignored.

I now find that the Liberal Democrats are not a lot better with the Pyrford Parish Council fiasco, but again my emails were ignored.

Thanks again Cllr Akberali for your honest article.

Adrian (Dickie) Bird

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