AT Wednesday's full council meeting Smithills Councillor Carole Swarbrick announced that she has been suspended from the Liberal Democrat group after 21 years of service for supporting the council budget put forward by the Labour group at the February budget meeting.

Carole is a very hard working councillor and is much respected by all parties and by residents in Smithills. She has served as Mayor of Bolton and as an Executive Member of the council and is committed to children’s and elderly people’s issues. She voted for the budget because it was in the best interests of Bolton and very importantly to help the most vulnerable people in our town.

With all of her experience, she knows that the council is in a tight corner and to play politics with the budget is not in the borough’s best interests. Unfortunately the other two Lib Dem Smithills councillors chose to vote against the increase for Adult Social Care. What has happened to Carole is in my opinion an absolute disgrace. The Liberal Democrat leadership should be ashamed and should reverse this decision and apologise to her. She has been treated very unfairly.

In Horwich, Liberal Democrat councillors on the town council supported the budget put forward by the Labour group and have done so for the past few years. Have they been suspended by their party leadership for doing what is in the best interests of Horwich? No. What then is the difference between them and Carole Swarbrick? It seems to be one rule for some and another rule made up for Carole by the Liberal Democrat leadership. I would ask the Liberal Democrat Chairperson in Bolton, Kevin Walsh to explain the terrible decision which has been made.

I would say to Carole publicly as well; you made the correct decision to leave aside party politics and to do the best thing for the most vulnerable in the borough. Keep standing tall because your colleagues are completely wrong to do what they have done.

Cllr Richard Silvester

Horwich North East Ward