IN a dramatic protest against the Conservative majority, Waverley's Liberal Democrats are to stop attending decision-making council meetings.
The walkout from Waverley Borough Council's executive meetings was announced by Lib Dem leader, Chris Slyfield on Tuesday, ahead of that evening's meeting.
Mr Slyfield branded the meetings as a "charade", claiming they are pre-planned and offer no opportunity for debate.
Under Waverley's current constitution, Lib Dem councillors and back-bench Conservatives are allowed to attend the decision-making executive sessions but can only speak if they submit an application by noon on the day of the meeting.
The executive is made up of nine Conservative councillors.
A frustrated Mr Slyfield said: "The Conservatives call it attendance at a meeting at which we may have to had to sit in silence for up to four hours on some occasions. The implication is that because we have sat at the back, as we are allowed to do, then we have participated in the council's processes!
"Nothing could be further from the truth," he added.
But Leader of Waverley Borough Council, David Harmer (Cons), hit back at the Lib Dems, claiming that Mr Slyfield's party had plenty of opportunities to "put in their two penn'orth".
Mr Harmer told The Herald: "They (Lib Dems) have the chance to call in any item for further discussion at one of the three overview and scrutiny committees, but the number of items that have been called in for scrutiny over the past year has been very low."
Speaking at the executive meeting later that night, fellow Conservative Graham Lambert jibed: "We can only assume that because so few items from our meetings have been called in for scrutiny we are doing a superb job."
"That would be the logical view," answered Mr Harmer.