Conservatives admit to misleading public on claims over fire services

Milton Keynes Conservatives have had to admit that they have mislead the public after Milton Keynes City Council members, including Conservatives, voted to condemn the misinformation MK Conservative councillors and their Buckinghamshire MPs have been circulating to the public.

During the debate, the council heard how Conservative claims that cuts had been proposed by the Fire Authority proposed were untrue.

The Conservatives were humiliated into supporting the motion which read “The Council condemns the misinformation that local Conservative councillors and MPs in MK and Buckinghamshire have been circulating which has unnecessarily concerned the public, and for misleading statements” and therefore admitting that their claims over potential cuts were false.

The meeting also heard how the Conservatives had left the fire service in Buckinghamshire in poor shape after two failed independent inspections rated the service inadequate, with fire stations and fire engines with no firefighters to man them, with the service in desperate need of reform to ensure resources were moved to prioritise  

Councillors supported the need to adapt and improve fire cover across Milton Keynes and would make clear to the Fire Authority that any reduction in operational capacity could not be supported.

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes City Council said:

“The Conservatives have had to admit their claims around changes to fire services are false and misleading. It is clear no proposals have been made to cut fire services in Milton Keynes and they were wrong to claim otherwise.”

He continued:

“I am pleased the Conservatives also acknowledged the awful state in which they left the fire authority in, with empty fire stations and ghost fire engines that have no firefighters to use them. It was the Conservatives that closed Great Holm and Bletchley fire stations in MK. It is a shocking disgrace.

“It is clear the fire service in Bucks county needs reform, but that doesn’t mean cuts. It means putting resources into a modern fire service that are actually able to be used.”