I AM pleased that Tory councillor Konrad Trapp (Meadowhead Ward) found the time to inspect the books of Blackburn with Darwen Council when the Tory-led coalition took over the council in 2007 (Letters, September 24).
It’s just a shame that he failed to inspect the books from 2007 to date!
If he had, he would have found that under the Tory-led coalition, the council’s debt has risen from £105.6m in 2007 to £139m now, saddling the taxpayer with an extra £33.4m of debt.
This extra spending was used to finance pet projects of the coalition such as buying up empty buildings, crediting new executive positions and financing schemes which were totally unnecessary in order to satisfy various factions within the coalition.
I find it astonishing that Coun Tapp has the gall to criticise the new Labour-led council, given this stunning financial mismanagement and hugely increased debt despite record funding increases from the last Labour government.
Coun DAVE SMITH, Sunnyhurst Ward.
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