At last Friday’s Council meeting Liberal Democrats on the County Council pressed for services to combat the huge impact of COVID on families, children and teenagers. The Tories all voted against the Liberal Democrat amendment – which was fully costed and signed off as financially sound by the finance officer –  and which would have seen the Children and Family Centres threatened with closure saved.

They also turned down fully costed plans to provide mental health support in every one of West Sussex’s 286 schools as we recover from COVID, and keep important day services for elderly residents open after the pandemic as well as investment in more resources for walking and cycling.

Liberal Democrat county councillors proposed funding these prudently, through a small 3% rise in fees charged for services, such as those we ask of developers sitting on billions of pounds of cash, and cuts to back office budgets only.

Not a single Conservative councillor, including all of those in Mid Sussex, voted to save our Children and Family Centres or provide much needed support in our schools.