This from Coun. Sam Currie after some Labour sniping about missing a committee meeting to bre in the audience for BBC TV's Question Time in Blackpool: "I did attend Question Time on Thursday evening having sent my apologies for the committee.

"Incidentally, this was only the second meeting I have missed in two years of being a councillor.

"Some Labour councillors have missed more than that this week and I was delighted to learn that Labour Cllr. Jenny Forshaw appears to be on my side having described my record as 'excellent'.

"If I was the Labour leader I would be more concerned that the previous evening for the budget meeting there were a number of his own councillors not present!

"I suppose they are desperate for any dirt on me whatsoever but this is incredibly weak. My advice to them is to dig deeper. I spent six and a half years in the military: there'll be loads out there.

"If they're struggling I'll happily pass on names and numbers."

"I did attend Question Time on Thursday evening having sent my apologies for the committee. "

That says it all. Standards of behaviour among the local Conservatives continue to scrape the bottom of the barrel as they have for almost 4 years now.

Will he be disciplined by the party whip? After all the whip is always in evidence when keeping councillors on the party line. Surely as this misdemeanour was very public, the local Conservatives should make known what action their whip has taken in respect of Cllr Currie, the former Parliamentary candidate, otherwise it must be assumed that this action of his is condoned.