Despite her recent criticism of Surrey County Council’s Conservative Administration, it has emerged that Lib Dem Group Leader Hazel Watson has herself made several tax-payer funded trips across the country.
Details obtained by the Conservative Group show that since her re-election in June 2009, Mrs Watson has claimed a whopping £3,529.67 for entry to several Local Government conferences, some as far afield as Harrogate, whilst also claiming a further £1,444in hotel bills and an extra £242.20 on train fares!
Starting with the most recent, Mrs Watson claimed:
· £742.50 attending the CCN Annual Conference in Staffordshire, November 2012;
· £981.70 attending the LGA Conference in Birmingham in June 2012, which included £345 on a hotel;
· £322 attending the 2011 CCN Conference at Hatfield House;
· £792 attending the 2011 LGA Conference in Birmingham;
· £479 attending the‘Conference & Partners’ Tour’, Gatwick, 2010;
· £780 attending the 2010 LGA Conference in Bournemouth;
· £380 attending the 2009 CCN Conference at the Radisson;
· £739 attending the 2009 LGA Conference in Harrogate.
David Hodge, Leader of the Conservative Group, added ‘Mrs Watson seems keen to draw attention to trips made by the administration, whilst completely ignoring all the trips she herself has made - despite being an opposition councillor and having no executive responsibility at Surrey County Council. This is precisely the kind of hypocrisy which puts people off local politics. It would surely be better for the Leader of the Opposition to concentrate on providing effective opposition and scrutiny of the administration rather than trying to score political points.’