Kingston’s Liberal Democrats have started their campaign for the two vacant Coombe Vale council seats by questioning the circumstances preceding the resignation of former Conservative councillor Robert-John Tasker.
Lib Dem councillor Mary Heathcote issued the following statement on the St Mark’s Lib Dem website:
“Conservative Robert-John Tasker has resigned as Councillor for Coombe Vale ward in New Malden. As I understand it, he has been working in America for several months while still claiming thousands of pounds of public money in councillor allowances, including his shadow executive member’s pay. I can’t see how he has managed to perform his duties from thousands of miles away”.
Fellow Surbiton councillor Neil Houston clearly agrees. So much so, in fact, that he also issued the exact same quote, word for word, in his own name on his Surbiton Hill website.
Spot the difference
Meanwhile, Lib Dem activist Dan Falchikov suggests on his Living on words blog that (working full time in the USA and not attending any council meetings since 14th July) ” Cllr Tasker still found time to claim £2,500 allowances from the taxpayer”.
I guess the Liberal Democrats feel that there’s some political (air?) mileage in this issue.
Kingston 2010 
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