Diviani lashes out at Tory Party

East Devon’s top Tory launched a surprise attack on his party when he accused them of ‘reneging on their promises’ and ‘getting everything wrong’.

District council leader Paul Diviani said it would make no difference if the Labour Party ran the country instead of the Conservatives.

But he has clarified his comments, saying his objections were to the unexpected changes to the new homes bonus.

Councillor Diviani said his party had promised that the amount of money they would receive would not change and that councils would be free to spend it as they wished.

“We got up to the Local Government Association conference in Manchester and they said 40 per cent was being given to the LEP [local enterprise partnership],” he said.

“It rather upset us – but it would be no different regardless of who is in charge.”

A Liberal Democrat councillor at last Wednesday’s full council meeting clarified that a coalition government runs the country, rather than the Conservative Party alone.