Lib Dems slams county over fake quotes in press release in Tory attempt to whitewash Herts Highways

4.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 20th Jul 2007

The Chair of the County Council's Environment Scrutiny Committee has hit out at the Conservative-run council for issuing an official county council press release quoting him when the quotation had not been cleared with him or his group. The press release was issued last Wednesday just hours before the councillor returned from a short work visit unrelated to the council to Eastern Europe. The Council was fully aware that Stephen was away and when he would return.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, who is the Liberal Democrat Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee, has formally complained to the County Council's chief legal officer and been told that issuing the press release without clearing the quotations was in breach of the council's rules.

The press release was issued following a meeting of the Environment Scrutiny which considered a one off scrutiny review of the extra work carried out on road maintenance by Highways Extra - some £10m last year.

Apparently Conservative Councillor Iris Tarry, Chair of the main Overview and Scrutiny Committee, had instructed officers to issue the release without first getting Cllr Giles-Medhurst's agreement.

Stephen commented: 'We had agreed at the conclusion of the meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee to issue, as per normal practice, a press release with our findings of the scrutiny review. As I was way for just four days I do not see what this could have not waited until my return.

'On reading the press release, however, it is obvious that the Conservatives have refused to accept that there were any complaints or criticism of the work carried out by Highways Extra. Indeed they tried to stop the subject even being scrutinised to start with and tried during the meeting to restrict debate on the problems that have arisen and the lessons to be learnt.

'I did not allow that debate to be restricted so it seems someone thought it was good idea to invent my views!.

He added: 'There were problems such re-routing traffic down dead ends, failure to inform residents of schemes in time or at all, failure to put down yellow lining and parking restrictions back in place quickly enough and in some cases poor workmanship.

'Whilst the extra investment is very welcome - it was something we campaigned for three years ago - there have been faults and at least the council's officers understood this and agreed to amend procedures.

'The press release the Conservatives got officers to write was nothing more than a whitewash and broke every council protocol. The fake quotation from me shows that the Conservatives will will stop at nothing to protect themselves from any criticism.

'The credibility of the council's press system is now in tatters.'