The Tories around here really are getting into their stride:
Rural and evening bus services are going to be slashed, thanks to the County Council halving the money they provide. All kinds of people will be affected all over Rugby and the surrounding villages.
At the setting of the Council budget last month, the Tories at Rugby Town Hall claimed that services would be protected and the impact of their changes would be very low. Tell that to the people reliant on Crossroads, which provides respite care for the elderly – the couple in that linked story are also going to lose out with the closure of Abbotsbury care home in Hillmorton.
Consultations are ongoing over which small libraries are going to be closed, and whether to reduce hours at others.
I am also finding out that the County Council is opening consultations on the closure and transfer of many of the county’s youth centres. Hill Street, Fareham Road, Brownsover, Dunchurch and Binley Woods Youth Centres are all under review. Wolston is recommended for closure.
I can see that these cuts are likely to disproportionally affect the most vulnerable – the young, the old, the ill, the poor.
The Tories gleefully wield the knife, and the Lib Dems are backing them (while at the same time crying tears over each local cut in case it costs them votes).
The middle of the line 
April 4, 2011 at 22:45
What we need is a strong candidate elected in Eastlands!
Good luck however I am more hopefully about Admirals and Hillmorton for Labour.
April 5, 2011 at 07:34
Thanks. I’ll do what I can here, but I agree that Hillmorton, Admirals (and Overslade?) are more likely to change hands.
Mind you, as strong as Neil Sandison is as an opponent, it appears he doesn’t know what AV actually is. His last leaflet claimed it was the same as the way we vote in the EU elections.
April 5, 2011 at 20:46
I haven’t seen Sandison’s comments first hand but he should know better than that. What we all know is that AV is a “miserable little compromise”.
I will be delighted but surprised if Labour win any of the 3 ward you mention. I think the Tories have a better infrastructure (due to having so many serving Councillors) and these local elections are coming just before the cuts start to bite.
Let’s hope I’m wrong!
April 5, 2011 at 21:04
Well, it’s not so much about the question of how the Tories work (I expect their turnout to remain high but slip back from the height of their opposition strength), but what happens to people who voted Lib Dem. Will they stick with the yellows? Will they switch to Labour or another option? Will they simply stay at home?
Then there’s the complication of the ‘Trade Unionists and Socialist Against the Cuts’ candidates, who may split the left-wing vote in some places. Mind you, in a couple of wards that are in the Kenilworth & Southam constituency, they are the only opposition to the Tories, which could prove interesting.
April 6, 2011 at 07:36
Unfortunately the only wards I can foresee changing hands are Dunchurch and Caldecott. Both moving from yellow to blue. This will give Craig Humphrey even more power to harm the democratic health of the Borough and cut, cut, cut.
That should be incentive enough for Labour to get out and campaign like never before.