Tory councillor resigns with a broadside at Bradford Council

8:00am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Jonathan Redhead, Ilkley/Otley Reporter

A Conservative councillor has resigned to take up a new job – and he hit out at Bradford Council on his departure.

Coun Matt Palmer (pictured), who has represented the Wharfedale ward on Bradford Council since May, 2003, is moving to Jersey with his family and says he cannot continue to serve people living in Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston.

But in an open letter to residents in his ward, Coun Palmer said the Council is “not a very good council, and has not been for a very long time”.

However, he said the authority “means well” and needs reorganising to serve all areas of the district properly. .

“Bradford Council is not a very good council, and has not been for a very long time,” he said. “It means well and has much to commend it, but its size and the complexity of its catchment make it all but impossible to design policies that suit all parts of the district and address their very distinct problems.

“The difference in life expectancy between residents of different part of the district can be over a decade. Crime, health inequalities and other issues vary in extreme.

“The needs and expectations of populations are so different as to be irreconcilable.

“Wharfedale should seek a new, more locally accountable and more democratic model, as should the City of Bradford. That would give both the chance to make their own way.”

Coun Palmer also thanked people in Burley and Menston who had helped him in his time in office and said the area needs a new secondary school as Ilkley Grammar is beyond capacity and has concerns about the scale of growth of villages in the district.

Coun Glen Miller, leader of the Conservatives on the council, praised Coun Palmer as an “invaluable” member of the group.

He said businesswoman Jackie Whiteley, who unsuccessfully stood in the by-election for a new MP in Bradford West won by George Galloway earlier this year, will contest the seat for the party.

An election to choose a new councillor for Wharfedale is expected to take place next month.

Comments(12)

Thee Voice of Reason says...
8:28am Wed 3 Oct 12

Stating the obvious but what did he do to change it whilst he was eating from the trough, probably nothing.
We all know the council is not fit for purpose, anyone who walks into Bradford can see within seconds the decline and the disaster it has suffered.

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Joedavid says...
8:28am Wed 3 Oct 12

Will Respect be standing?

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Albion. says...
11:11am Wed 3 Oct 12

Joedavid wrote:
Will Respect be standing?
In Burley? I doubt it.

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Marty12 says...
12:28pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Irrespective of the politics, his parting comments can't be denied. 25 years ago Bradford and Leeds were not as dramatically different socially and economically as they are today. Why is that? A huge question mark has got to be placed over the quality of the councillors who have served on the council and the quality, and motives, of the decisions that have been made. A once proud city is now little short of a ghetto.

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mattpalmer says...
1:24pm Wed 3 Oct 12

http://www.mattpalme
r.net/2012/10/thank-
you-and-goodbye/

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ANY WHERE BUT HERE says...
1:38pm Wed 3 Oct 12

If only he could of said it before he resigned. We all know how bad it'is, Bailing out to jersey after nearly ten years, what have you done in that time shame on you.

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A Casual Observer says...
2:58pm Wed 3 Oct 12

If you live in a semi-rural area like Burley it would make more sense to vote Green. The Tories don't give a tosss about protecting the countryside or its wildlife.

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A Casual Observer says...
3:01pm Wed 3 Oct 12

Perhaps I'll move to Jersey too...wonder how much Housing Benefit they'll pay in the Chanel Islands?

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ANY WHERE BUT HERE says...
6:06pm Wed 3 Oct 12

What a tw**. After all that time he achieved nothing.Just why do we vote
society,democracy, its not working..

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Dragon Saddle says...
8:29pm Wed 3 Oct 12

How will this by election cost? Even combining it with the Police Commissioner election will still leave about eight thousand pounds extra to pay.

I could have sworn this lot were crowing about the cost of elections recently. Hypocrites!!

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Period Drama says...
1:09pm Thu 4 Oct 12

Albion. wrote:
Joedavid wrote:
Will Respect be standing?
In Burley? I doubt it.
Or anywhere in Bradford by the next time the elections come around. The in-party fighting began last month, with a white muslim convert party member stating that if you are a white person, be it muslim or non-muslim then to stay away from the Respect party as it is nothing more than a polar opposite of the BNP and is full of hatred towards whites.

Geroge Galloway=Nick Griffin

Two inadequate human beings whose grandmothers would struggle to kiss on the cheek.

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localydocaly says...
5:27pm Fri 5 Oct 12

shame this reporter cant find any intresting or informative news to report on,or he wouldnt be listing the the same artical twice in a wk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if thers nothing for him to report sack him

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