At the last Test Valley Council meeting, Leader, Ian Carr was asked whether he thought being Leader of the Council for 13 years was about 10 years too long. The question was posed by his Liberal Democrat opposite number, Mark Cooper.

“Cllr Carr is exhibiting behaviour which suggests he is increasingly detached from his Council colleagues,” says Cllr Cooper. “A recent excellent piece of work done by a Councillor Panel on improving Test Valley’s recycling rates was summarily dismissed by Cllr Carr at a recent Cabinet meeting; he has recently granted himself significant extra powers without reference to either Cabinet or Councillor colleagues and now he’s equipped his office in Test Valley’s Andover Headquarters with luxury armchairs.” (see below)

“The furniture, I’m told, is ‘not bog-standard furniture procurement’ but is second-hand, and re-conditioned by a local supplier. It cost £1,400 which came from the Council’s Estates Services budget.”

“I can’t see why Cllr Carr would want to fill is office with a number of Chesterfield leather settees and armchairs, unless he’s going to entertain his political cronies,” he says. “If that is the case, he should buy the chairs out of his Leader’s allowance rather than use Council taxpayers money to buy them.”