Cllr David Palethorpe, representing Billing Ward on Northampton Borough Council, has defected from the Conservatives to Labour. He was a former Council leader.
Cllr Palethorpe says:
"In the manifesto, we said we would work with our partners to protect frontline services. Working with your partner is not saying ‘you tell us what you want to cut and we will agree’.
“Part of our role at the borough is to hold the county council to account and we are not prepared to do that.”
He particularly objects to the county council reducing street lighting. Yet there has been no evidence that in Northamptonshire or elsewhere that reducing street lighting increases crime. There needs to be adequate street lighting. But it seems to be that often there is still terrible light pollution. I think that generally councils should go further to make savings in this area.
Anyway it is not for Northampton borough councillors to tell Northamptonshire county councillors what to do or vice versa. If Cllr Palethorpe is interested in street lighting then let him seek election as a county councillor rather than throw his toys out of the pram.