Basingstoke Conservatives critcise council 'left bloc'

The Conservative Group at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has accused a “left‑focused coalition” of shutting it out of senior committee roles at tonight’s annual council meeting, Thursday, May 21.

Despite being the largest opposition group on the authority, Conservatives say almost all of their nominations for committee chairmanships and other leadership positions were voted down in the chamber. They claim the votes were carried by a bloc made up of independent, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green councillors.

Conservative Group leader Cllr Simon Minas‑Bound said the outcome exposed a gap between the council leadership’s public language on collaboration and what happened when posts were allocated.

Conservative Cllrs Sean Dillow, Jay Ganesh and Simon Minas-Bound  in Down Grange Park.  (Image: Cllr Sean Dillow)

He said: “Tonight’s meeting exposed the reality behind the rhetoric residents have been hearing about collaboration and cross‑party working.

“The Conservative Group put forward ten nominations for committee chairmanships and positions to ensure the residents who voted Conservative received fair representation in the leadership and scrutiny structures of the council.

“Initially, it looked like every single nomination would be voted down by a coordinated voting bloc made up of the so‑called independents, Lib Dem, Labour and Green councillors.

“It was only when Conservatives demanded a recorded vote — ensuring residents could clearly see how every councillor voted — that we finally secured a slightly more balanced outcome and gained a single chairmanship position. That in itself tells residents everything they need to know about what was happening in the chamber tonight.”

The group argues that committee chair roles are not symbolic, but shape work programmes and how decisions are scrutinised, particularly on planning, finance and major regeneration schemes such as South Ham and Buckskin.

Cllr Minas‑Bound added: “To completely exclude the largest opposition group from those positions is not collaboration — it is political control.

“Residents who voted for independent candidates should take note of what happened this evening. Those councillors did not act independently. They voted as a unified political bloc alongside Labour and the Greens to exclude anyone right of centre from meaningful leadership roles within the council.

“There is a growing gap between how this administration presents itself publicly and how it behaves when key decisions are being made.”

The Conservative Group says it will continue to challenge the administration’s decisions and “represent residents across the borough” despite what it describes as attempts to sideline opposition voices.