‘Shameful’ Lib Dems abstain on child safety

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Councillor Alan Taylor

A "shameful" abrogation of duty took place in Rochdale Borough council chamber last night as one after another Liberal Democrat councillors sat on their hands and abstained during a vote on a Labour motion to reduce speed limits on roads outside schools to 20mph.

Lib Dem group leader Alan Taylor could be clearly seen gesticulating to his Lib Dem colleagues to abstain and with three exceptions, Councillor Swift and Councillor Jones voted for the speed reduction and Councillor Ali against, they followed their leader’s instruction.

The motion, moved by Labour Councillor Colin Lambert, called on the council to introduce as a priority, a mandatory and enforceable 20mph speed limit on roads outside all schools in the borough.

The likelihood of being seriously injured rises significantly with small changes in impact speed. 85% of fatalities occurred at impact speeds below 40pmh, this compares with 45% of fatalities at less than 30mph, whilst impact with a pedestrian at 20mph the figure reduces to 5% fatalities.

Council and Lib Dem group leader Councillor Alan Taylor spoke against the reduction introducing what Labour Councillor Colin Lambert denounced as “red herrings”.

The Conservatives supported the motion with Councillor Ashley Dearnley speaking eloquently on the need to take action to “save children’s lives.”

With the majority of the Lib Dem party abstaining, a spectacle that one Lib Dem councillor, who does not want to be named, admitted was “shameful”, the motion was carried as Labour and Conservative councillors voted for the reduction to be implemented.