A senior Liberal Democrat councillor has been caught lying to the public and should apologise at the earliest opportunity, Conservatives say.
Cllr Sam Bromiley, Leader of the Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council, today wrote to the Leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat Group highlighting his concern about the conduct of one of its members.
Cllr Bromiley told Lib Dem Leader Cllr Maggie Tyrrell that a Facebook post published by Cllr Chris Willmore, Lib Dem councillor for Yate North, on Thursday 17 October contained “a series of deliberate lies” and asked that Cllr Tyrrell apologise, take immediate action against Cllr Willmore and issue a crackdown on lies by Lib Dem and Labour councillors.
The issue followed a South Gloucestershire Council meeting that took place on Wednesday 16 October at which the Conservative Group tabled a motion opposing the government’s controversial cut to Winter Fuel Payments. On the night, the council’s Lib Dem and Labour groups voted against the motion and decided instead to ask the government to review Pension Credit thresholds, a proposal the Conservative Group couldn’t support due to the fact that it would not adequately address the issue.
Following the meeting, Cllr Willmore took to Facebook to complain that the Conservative Group had voted against an attempt by Labour and the Liberal Democrats “to tackle the problem of pensioner poverty”, while completely failing to mention that she and her Lib Dem colleagues had just voted against a proposal to oppose the cut to Winter Fuel Payments.
In his letter to Cllr Tyrrell, Cllr Sam Bromiley said: “Cllr Willmore’s statement cannot be characterised merely as a difference of opinion. It is, quite simply, a series of deliberate lies.
“If a senior councillor, paid a premium by the taxpayer for her role on Cabinet, can tell the general public such flagrant lies then honesty and integrity in public office no longer matter and the Nolan Principles way as well be thrown in the bin.
“Honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of public service. The residents of our community rely on politicians to be truthful, transparent, and accountable. A failure to uphold these standards not only erodes public trust but also weakens the democratic process.”
