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LEAKED LETTER SPARKS ANGER Thursday, January 16 - Wednesday, January 22, 2014
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Bus group’s fury after councillor ‘dismisses’ campaign THE Oxon School Bus Action Group (OSBAG) has reacted angrily to Oxfordshire County Council, after a cabinet member had sent a private letter to other councillors dismissing the campaign. The letter was sent by Cllr Melinda Tilley, the council cabinet member for children, education and families. One section read: “Perhaps ‘OSBAG’ should listen more to what real parents say they will do, rather than to their own rhetoric which seems to be more about their own personal and, perhaps, political agenda. “‘OSBAG’ may have hundreds of ‘Facebook friends’ but the three or four tee-shirt wearing ‘usual suspects’ who turned up at each of the 10 public meetings suggests that there is rather less behind the façade than has been suggested by the generous media coverage.” The news comes as the second consultation on the council’s proposed home to school transport policy ended on Tuesday, as they try to reduce spending on all services by 40 per cent. And the issue has provoked a furious response from campaigners. OSBAG co-ordinator Sue Moon said: “This issue affects thou-
By Adam Flinn adam@taylornewspapers.co.uk
sands of families throughout the county who have gone to the trouble of engaging in the process precisely because they are so fearful of the potential outcome of this policy change. “To see their options dismissed so fl ippantly by a senior local politician calls into question the legitimacy of the council’s approach to public consultations. Ms Moon continued: “But the most disappointing aspect of this letter is that it clearly highlights just how out of touch such an important cabinet member still is with the strength of feeling across the county. “This is now about personalities or politics, as our group is made up of people from right across the political spectrum. “This is quite simply about the future of children’s education in Oxfordshire.” Cllr Tilley declined to comment on the letter, after being contacted by the Oxford Journal.
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