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This administration came to power on the back of a promise. A promise it has not kept.

A promise made...
The promise broadcast so loudly in our streets last May was clear: 'Stop Bourne Hill, vote Liberal Democrat!' Many people did vote Liberal Democrat.

...But not honoured
They have not stopped Bourne Hill.

Instead, they engaged in a public consultation. Yes, it is a good thing to consult the public on important matters. But the ultimate public consultation is an election. The election was fought and won primarily on the issue of Bourne Hill. What part of being elected on a promise to 'Stop Bourne Hill' did they not understand?

A promise they should not have made
We all know that this is a complex project and that to stop it has serious consequences. If they knew the consequences before they made their promise, they should keep that promise. And if they did not know the consequences, they should not have made the promise.

Because they knew they could not honour it
It is public knowledge that the Liberal Democrats did know, before the election, the consequences of stopping Bourne Hill.

The Acting Chief Executive, David Crook, sent a letter dated 27 April 2007 to ‘All members of the Liberal democrat Group’ and he ‘copied it to candidates for information’ reminding them that he had ‘warned that simple cancellation of the contract would mean that around £5m of capital expenditure already incurred… would switch to a revenue charge and effectively make the council bankrupt’.

Trust betrayed
The decision to build a scaled-down version of the proposed District Council offices at Bourne Hill is not just a matter of getting less for more money. It is a betrayal of trust.