'This is a resigning matter ...'
LAMBETH'S Labour opposition has called for housing councillor Keith Fitchett to resign in the wake of the fraud scandal. Opposition leader Councillor Steve Reed said: "It appears the Liberal Democrat and Conservative council hired a fraudster, handed him the council's cheque book and let him sign millions of pounds over to himself without anyone checking what he was up to. As a result of this staggering incompetence, Lambeth has now lost nearly £3million that should have been used to improve our council housing.
This is one of the biggest fraud cases in the history of British local government, and it's happened because the Lib Dems and Tories are incapable of running the council properly. Lib Dem councillor Keith Fitchett is responsible for this service. I believe it is his failed stewardship that has led to this disaster. He must now resign. If the Lib Dems and Tories don't think incompetence on this scale is a resigning matter, then what on earth is?"
Cllr Fitchett has dismissed Cllr Reed's call.
He said: "It is a shame that Cllr Reed makes a statement that is irresponsible and he knows is significantly misleading. Cllr Reed calls for my resignation. If I thought I was personally at fault I would resign. When Cllr Reed was in charge of the Education department and a schoolgirl drowned on a school trip he did not resign because, although he was responsible for the service, he was not personally at fault. Cllr Reed must explain why the principle he applied to himself should not apply to others. In addition, the financial systems that failed in this fraud are monitored and overseen by two scrutiny committees - both chaired by Labour councillors. Is he calling for their resignation? Strangely not."
