HOT on the heels of Liberal Democrat Cllr Hugh Mason telling TBG that mistakes were made by the party when it was in power in regard to the sub-committee investigating Mike Hancock, a leading portfolio holder and new Cabinet member has told TBG that "It's a very sad situation that the Lib Dems allowed themselves to get into."
Robert New last night told TBG in an exclusive interview - "This is despite opposition members asking for Hancock to be suspended at the start of the debacle. I can totally understand why 'Annie' feels that Cllr Hall and Cllr Stevens should contribute to paying back the wasted thousands and thousands of taxpayers money.
"The report they had in front of them clearly showed there was a case to answer. Certainly one of the Liberal Democrats councillor's (Les Stevens) went on record and said he was protecting his mate (Mike Hancock). It was completely inappropriate for them to of been made members of the investigation panel in the first place.
"At least Cllr Donna Jones was brave enough to call them on it. I sincerely hope that lessons have been learned by the Liberal Democrats but so far their actions show otherwise.
"I believe (Hugh Mason's comments) to be bleeding heart syndrome because they've been caught out trying to protect their guilty mate.
"Knowing that Cllr Eleanor Scott had approached Cllr Terry Hall as the Liberal Democrats Group Secretary with claims of bullying around Mike Hancock and Gerald Vernon Jackson you'd think that they would of been more cautious and acted to safeguard the council rather than bring it into disrepute to coverup for their mate and wasted thousands of pounds in taxpayers money in the process.
"It just goes to show the level of disregard they have for safeguarding residents and wasting other people's money.
"They were caught out playing coverup and now understandably their's ill will to them from the public and the poor victim in the middle of this whole sordid matter who Cllr Terry Hall and Cllr Les Stevens did a huge mis-service to."
Tweet
