Councillor Brosnan branded hypocritical over Springhill High School

Date published: 08/03/2007

Council Leader Alan Taylor has branded former Rochdale Cabinet Member Councillor Lynn Brosnan "hypocritical’ for the way she has been handling the Building School’s for the Future (BSF) bid.  Councillor Brosnan has been hugely critical of the amalgamation of Springhill High School and Balderstone Technology College in the past few months, campaigning on the frontline against these two schools amalgamating.

Councillor Alan Taylor said: "I feel it’s time to let people know that Councillor Brosnan has known about these plans since 27 January 2005.  She was a senior Cabinet Member when she discussed it at a Cabinet Meeting in her time as Portfolio Holder for Crime and Community Safety.  She agreed a document entitled: 'Secondary School Organisation – Building Schools for the Future'.  She had an opportunity at the time to raise her concerns and she didn’t.  I find her comments hypocritical and it is high time she revealed her part in it.  When pressed at a Rochdale Township meeting before Christmas, a senior Council Officer confirmed that the recommendations that formed the BSF bid came from an informal Cabinet Meeting in January 2005.  This is when the Labour Party were the senior partners in a coalition with the Conservative Party.  I find Councillor Brosnan’s attitude now to be similar to Hazel Blear’s picketing in Salford against her own Labour Government’s policy.  She does not have the best interests of the young people of her area in mind, she is up for election, her seat is under threat and I’m afraid she had her own position and that of the Labour Party in mind."

Talks about the successful Building Schools for the Future Bid have been ongoing for many years. The Council position is the bid is set to improve dramatically educational provision in the Borough.  Councillor Irene Davidson, the Portfolio Holder for Children, Schools and Families said: "I don’t want to get dragged into a political argument but it is true that these discussions have been ongoing and I have certainly been surprised by some Councillor’s opposition to some of the proposals.  Councillor Brosnan has been especially vocal as a Governor at Springhill School and I am surprised that she has not revealed that she was on the committee that rubber stamped the decision as far back as January 2005.  That said, she had every right to change her mind but she should be a little more honest about her part in it."