You talk, the Tories ignore you.

The Conservative's School Closures Policy descended into total farce today during seven hours of debate.

There were a record number of call-in by councillors and added-members asking for the Executive to re-think their daft plan to shut a number of schools with surplus places, despite lack of a county-wide strategy to deal with the real problem in a considered way.

Time only allowed for three of decisions today affecting six schools. The call-ins relating to other schools will be made at a date to be arranged.

The Conservatives showed themselves to be hopelessly out of touch today and blindly determined to keep driving through their bull-dozer in the face of overwhelming public opinion.

Labour, LibDem, and Independent councillors were joined by representatives of the churches and parent governors, calling for the Executive to listen to the public outcry and go back to the drawing board.

All to no avail. The Conservatives pushed on regardless. They didn't even listen to one of their own back-benchers who bravely said there was no justification to close a school in her area.

Sooner or later this flawed process is bound to come unstuck in a big way.

The whole process has been totally bodged and is doing Lincolnshire's reputation no good at all.

What finally became clear today is that the evidence to justify closing the schools is simply not there.

For clarity - and because some viewers may be interested only in particular schools, I'll blog separately on each decision made today.