Opportunistic Tories are snow joke‏

Responding to the emergency rationining of salt and grit to councils the Tory shadow local government secretary, Caroline Spelman, called the grit measures "an admission of utter failure" saying that "The lessons of last February's extreme weather have not been learnt," and that the "...government has failed to build up a strategic Highways Agency reserve and Labour ministers have sat on their hands instead of putting measures in place to safeguard grit supplies. The government appears to be rapidly losing control of the situation."

We have to assume that Spelman’s next move will be to apologise to her Tory colleague councillors? Here’s why.

Last February’s prolonged snowfall left councils without supplies, not just because of the severity of the weather conditions but because stocks were diverted to the Highways Agency who took precedence over delivery to local authorities. However an all party parliamentary committee, which included Spelmans’ Tory colleagues, explored the issues, post the February shortages last year, and suggested that all Councils should keep a minimum of 15-16 days salt and grit in stock. If we had another prolonged winter snowfall there would be contingency supplies of salt and grit said the committee. It also recommended the setting up of ‘salt cell’ to allow strategic delivery of supplies in the event of unprecedented shortages of grit and salt due to severe weather. Salt cell of course includes – yes you’ve guessed it – the Tory led LGA.

As most councils have adhered to the committee recommendations is she saying her colleagues on the committee were stupid and got it wrong or is she saying that given most councils in the UK are Tory controlled that her local government colleagues are stupid and got it wrong? Or is she saying that the Tory LGA balls up? Either way Spelman is wide of the mark and has used the grit crisis as a blatant opportunity to attack the government but in doing so has inadvertently questioned the competence of her Tory colleagues nationally and in local government - what’s more Duke Dave was so ‘policy-lite’ on this issue he lined up behind her!