Lincolnshire show how the Tories would run the country...

What was David Cameron's side-kick wee Georgie Osborne thinking of when he said a future Conservative government could learn lessons from Tory councils like Lincolnshire...?

Was it Lincolnshire Tories record of running the only education authority in the country to spend millions of public money to send selected children to public school - by top-slicing the budget of every state school in the county...?

Or was it the cavalier way Lincolnshire Tories trebled home care charges for some of Lincolnshire's most vulnerable people - from £40 to an staggering £120 a week in one hike - (a saga on which I posted on HERE and HERE...?

Maybe it was the back-of-a-fag-packet scheme to close all infant schools that showed what Lincolnshire Conservatives really feel about 'choice' despite their rhetoric...?

Surely wee Georgie wasn't thinking about the way Lincolnshire Tories' forced through the biggest council tax demand for policing in the county - an eye-watering 78.9 per cent that had to be capped by the Labour Government with a welcome rebate for every council tax payer...?

Ironically, wee Georgie was talking in his speech about value for money when he highlighted Lincolnshire as a flagship to follow...

Wonder if he realises that Lincolnshire Tories insisted on hiking up council tax bills this year - voting down Labour's sensible plan for a council tax freeze...(despite his promise that Conservatives would deliver a freeze on council tax).

No, wee-Georgie was talking about Lincolnshire's record on public-private partnerships. While I believe private firms might sometimes deliver a better job than local councils, in eight years as a county councillor in Lincolnshire, I was far from impressed with the way county services were run by private companies.

I believe the system wee Georgie was so impressed with was brought in by former Tory Leader of the county council, Jim Speechley...

Wee Georgie will remember Jim well...Speechley of course was sent to jail for corruption.

So now we know how the Tories would run the country if we were ever daft enough to give them a chance...

Same old Tories, or what...?

Speechley 'whistle-blower' oversees healthy surplus for Lincs hospitals...

Good to see that Lincolnshire's hospitals have achieved financial surplus for the first time - and that one of the key figures behind the success is David Bowles who played a crucial role in the jailing of Jim Speechley, former Conservative Leader of Lincolnshire County Council.

The Tories who ran the council never forgave Chief Executive David Bowles for insisting on high standards and eventually calling in the police to investigate Speechley's abuse of power.

Bowles should have been awarded a medal for the public service he performed as whistle-blower in exposing the Speechley scandal.

Instead, following the jailing of Speechley for abuse of office, his Tory mates took their vengeance out on Bowles - disgracefully forcing him out of his job - at a cost to Lincolnshire taxpayers of a huge £400,000 payoff and a massive pay hike to attract a new Chief Executive.

David Bowles could easily have retired into obscurity - but he was determined to continue his career in public service and is now chairman of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust which I'm please to report has just achieved a £12.5 million surplus.

The Trust has been heavily in debt for years, but under David's chairmanship, is now on course to achieve break-even over five years which will allow it to become a foundation trust free from direct government control.

As well as financial achievements, the Trust has also recently made medical advances: Clostridium difficile infections are down 41 per cent, MRSA infections down 37 per cent and waiting times for treatment, diagnosis and A&E all reduced.

It's good to see David's skills and decency appreciated rather more than they were by the Tories who run Lincolnshire County Council, as reported at the time by The Guardian.

Number of Lincs students doubles - thanks to Labour.

Great news to see that the number of young people in full-time education or apprenticeships has doubled since Labour started paying students a weekly allowance.

The Tories who control Lincolnshire County Council have done nothing to help young people continue their education. I believe it is outrageous that the Tories have scrapped free transport to schools and colleges for over-16s.

As Opposition spokesperson at LCC, I campaigned - with others - to continue free transport for those staying on at school and others in full time education.

My argument is simple: Lincolnshire has the lowest proportion of young people staying on at school and the least qualified workforce in the country.

It's no coincidence that we are also one of the lowest-pay, lowest-skill economies in the UK.

In my view, improving education chances is the key to changing this - both to benefit individuals, but also to strengthen the economy of Lincolnshire.

But Lincolnshire Tories won't listen. Instead of joining with Labour to encourage more of our young people to stay in full-time education, Lincolnshire Tories insist on snatching back a slice of the Educational Maintainance Allowance generously paid directly paid into their bank account by the Labour Government.

And next year, they intend grabbing an even bigger slice...

Despite the Cameron spin, Lincolnshire Tories haven't changed a bit.

Their Leader David Cameron says it's wrong to split children into sheep and goats through the 11-plus - but refuses to take on his own party.

So the same Lincolnshire Tories who top-slicing the budget of every state school in the county to raise £2 million to send a select few children to private school - - will next year take even more money from students for their travel.

The story of the increase in those staying on is in tonight's Lincolnshire Echo.