Dawe hits out at ‘hijacking’

Concerns have been raised about a series of Neighbourhood Partnership meetings on the budget process being hijacked by politicians.

Council leader Jenny Dawe had said she wanted councillors to be observers, rather than active participants.

But she said that some of the meetings contained ideas such as setting up a “co-operative council”, which was a key plank of a Labour consultation.

She said: “What these meetings should not have been was an excuse for any political party to promote part of their manifesto.”