At a meeting of the full cabinet this week, the question of an appointment as a Governor to Totton College cropped up. The vacancy arises as a result of a Tory resignation. The subsequent by-election was won by Liberal Democrat, Len Harris.

The Conservatives now have a wafer thin majority on the District Council and are having particular problems only appointing Tories representatives in Totton, where nine out of ten Totton District Councillors are Liberal Democrats.

In a desperate move designed to keep the Liberal Democrats out of the picture, the Tory Leader proposed appointing an Officer to the position of College Governor, rather than asking any of the Totton Councillors whether they would like to serve.

Liberal Democrat Leader on the New Forest District Council, Alan Weeks has now "Called-in" the decision, criticising the Tories for trying to thwart the will of local people who have consistently supported Liberal Democrat Councillors.

He says "Local people are already really angry about the way the Conservatives have treated Totton. There are a lot of sensitive issues surrounding Totton College, especially things like car-parking. The District Council should be represented by locally elected and accountable Councillors, not reluctant Officers that have been forced into the job as a Tory face-saving exercise."