NORTH KUMBRIA MOLE

THE Labour hierarchy supposedly in charge of Fumbleland Council doesn’t like anyone challenging its authority, say my spies in North Kumbria.

Independent councillor Robert Betton – long the sacrificial lamb of Labour wolves in the council chamber – had lumps bitten out of him at full council in Carlisle on Tuesday.

His crime? Daring to ask follow-up questions of the Red-led leadership having obligingly already tabled written ones.

Workington Labour dames, councillors Barbara Cannon and Denise Rollo, apparently bristled at his temerity for not blindly accepting everything they said, like so many among their own ranks.

Babs and Den have big responsibilities at the top table of the new unitary and are quite happy to claim big allowances for them.

So it’s entirely reasonable for Cllr Betton to drill into what the leadership is doing about the shabby Durranhill Viaduct in Carlisle, and the council’s ‘eye-watering’ spend on consultants, (circa £600k+)

Rollo accused him of not being a qualified structural engineer, while Babs went off on a characteristically high-minded lecture about the need to spaff public cash on outside experts.

After three hours of the meeting had elapsed, svelte Labour bruiser Mark Fryer asked if business should be suspended or continue, as permitted under the constitution.

It did not go unnoticed that the Labour benches enthusiastically supported calling time on proceedings and therefore saving any further skewering of its ‘flustered’ portfolio holders.