After almost 4 years of Tory control in County Hall nothing has changed.

12.00.00am GMT Thu 5th Mar 2009

The publication today of the Audit Commissions report into County Council services has shown that they have failed to make a difference to the overall standard of services to citizens of the county.

A record of failure in County Hall

"For an administration that arrived in County Hall espousing the rebirth of the County Council and promising to improve the lot of every resident this report is one showing abject failure to deliver on their promises" said Scott Collins, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire.

Commenting further Scott said "When we look back over the last four years we don't see the calendar of highlights we were told to expect. Instead we see cut after cut after their failure to gain control of their budgets and address the real issues facing the council and more importantly the County".

The report states that the County has still not risen above the two star rating the council had in 2005. The council has consistently failed to rise above the two star rating in 2006 and 2007.

"If you ask most people what the council has done in the last four years almost everyone remembers a cut or loss of service in those four years. This Council made great claims about the future but have backed them up with a myriad of cuts and failed policies, from the closure of care homes, cuts in respite care, the loss of the county's youth service, removal of grants from groups like those that ran the Roadmender and charities. Not to mention the state of the roads which, in spite of protestations from the County Council, nobody can say they are markedly better and in many cases are very much worse. This is in contradiction of their 2005 Manifesto promise".

"With yet another independent review of the Conservative County Councillors failure in administration it will be interesting to see if the public will accept four more years of the same on 4th June at the County Council Elections" said Scott who will himself be hoping to stand in the forthcoming County elections.