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Political blog, April 27: Labour and Tories set to clash over Iceland

Stand by for some pre-election fireworks this week. It seems the opposition Labour group at County Hall has got its way and succeeded in having a motion of no confidence in KCC leader Paul Carter, over what they allege is his shortcomings in handling the £50million in Icelandic banks, tabled at this week’s full council meeting.

The motion alleges several breaches of KCC’s constitution and has evidently been carefully put together and calls on him to be “dismissed with immediate effect from the position of Leader of this Council.”

I can confidently predict that this will get rejected because of the Conservative majority. But that is not the point so far as Labour is concerned.

If there is one issue that voters are likely to be raising on the doorstep – in fact, I have already been told this by several people out canvassing – it is the money tied up in Iceland.

Labour understandably is keen to exploit this to the full before June 4 when voters go to the polls, notwithstanding the news last week that KCC looks likely to get back a sizeable chunk from at least one bank.

I have a feeling the Conservatives will rather relish the debate although as is the way of these stage-managed bits of political theatre, there will be a lot of artificial indignation and rather more heat than light shed on the issue.

The Conservatives have been given some useful ammunition after last week’s developments and no doubt there will be a few subtle digs at the Audit Commission which also had £10million stuck in Iceland and the political connections of some of its key figures from their benches.

And as I blogged last week, it seems the Audit Commission could be forced into a retreat over its accusation that KCC was "negligent" over its deposits. Who knows? Perhaps the Audit Commission's mea culpa may come in time for Thursday's full council meeting.

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