Cheshire East's Conservative group leader, Janet Clowes, says why Sam Corcoran had to go

By The Editor

18th Jul 2024 | Opinion

In advance of the Conservative-led Notice of Motion calling for a vote of no confidence in his leadership, Cllr Sam Corcoran announced at full Council that he would stand down as leader of Cheshire East Council.

Conservative group leader Janet Clowes put forward a motion of no confidence in Sam Corcoran prior to him resigning as leader of Cheshire East Council yesterday (Wednesday).

Here Cllr Clowes gives Nub News her thoughts on why Cllr Corcoran had to go.

"Since 2019, Cllr Corcoran has overseen the the dramatic decline of this Council's financial and operational sustainability, both as leader of a Cabinet System with executive powers and more recently as the public face of the Committee System," said Cllr Clowes.

Cllr Janet Clowes is also the elected representative for Wybunbury ward. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

"This decline has not happened suddenly but has been highlighted at every budget meeting and multiple committees.

"In 2023 the leader announced that for the first time that CEC had a balanced 4-year budget - it failed to balance within the first quarter. He championed an overly ambitious carbon cutting programme that is currently undeliverable.

"And whilst DSG SEN debt is a pressure for all local authorities, the excessive level in Cheshire East, places this council as a national outlier.

"Five years on, this Council is in the unconscionable position of having to make £100m of savings in the next four years, address a separate DSG (High Needs SEN) debt of £80m (which if not controlled will rise to £1 Billion by 2030), an Inadequate OFSTED Report and a damning LGA Corporate Peer Review Report.

Cllr Sam Corcoran resigned as leader of Cheshire East Council yesterday (Wednesday). (Photo: Cheshire East)

"At Council yesterday (Wednesday) we had to make painful and difficult decisions on emergency transformation that will impact on all residents across the Cheshire East Borough for years to come.

"Without the confidence of elected members and of Cheshire East residents, Sam Corcoran's position as Leader was untenable.

"We appreciate that this will have been a painful decision for Cllr Corcoran but it is the right one and we respect that he acted proactively, stepping aside for his successor, Cllr Nick Mannion. [Of Macclesfield West and Ivy].

"The Conservative Group look forward to working collegiately with all officers and elected members as we start to redress the fiscal and operational quagmire that has now been exposed."