Cllr Swainston: "Will the Labour Leader now apologise and resign?"

9.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 24th Mar 2006

The fiasco of the Labour Council's attempt to close Hurworth School was strongly criticised at last week's Full Council meeting. Cllr Swainston asked the Leader of the Council to consider his position and resign. With his education policy in tatters and the turmoil his plans have created throughout Darlington, it is now time for someone new to take Darlington forward and resolve the crisis that surrounds secondary education in the town.

Cllr Swainston also called on the Leader of the Council to apologise to the Council Tax payers of Darlington for the wasteful use of their money to publicise his doomed plans. The costs of public meetings, promotional material, staff time both in the Council and the Town Crier (including press officers hired to sell the plans to the public) have been borne by the taxpayers of Darlington.