Smug way to put party before people

THE FRIDAY THING: SO, was it a good night or a bun fight for Saddleworth Parish Council on Monday.

It certainly had its moments of comedy (John Hudson was very much in evidence with a microphone attached to his hand) but those who were expecting a full-scale war were disappointed.

There is no doubt there was some skulduggery, but the Lib-Dems were there in force so there was bound to be conflicts of views on the unofficial agenda.

But fisticuffs or the throwing of buns or sausage rolls at one another did not, unfortunately, form the cabaret section of the AGM. There was much glowering and whispered asides, because this was a parish council at war.

The Lib-Dems occupied one side and had decided to take over all the council’s meaningful roles, opting to run the whole show themselves — leaving their opponents little to do but put up their hands to abstain on everything.

The dividing line in this cross-party staring match was the new school for Saddleworth and whether it should be built in Uppermill or on the much-disliked Diggle site.

But the Lib-Dems clearly didn’t care. They outnumbered their abstaining opponents, nabbed all the best parish council jobs and were overwhelmed by a rather annoying smugness that is the Lib-Dem way.

As was the irresistible act of putting party before the people, parents and pupils of the new school...