SOME of the problems Bromsgrove District Council is now striving to tackle in a bid to get back on track can be traced to Labour's term in office in the mid to late 1990s - and the present leader of that group in particular.

That's the opinion of the present Tory leader Cllr Dennis Norton (St John's) after Cllr Peter Mc Donald (Lab-Waseley) blamed the ruling group this week for spending cash like 'Monopoly money.'

Cllr McDonald was referring to last Wednesday's cabinet decision to set aside £2m from its capital receipts to pay for redundancy, early retirement payments and retraining in connection with a proposed shake up of top officers at the Council House. An additional two chief officers will also be brought in to strengthen the team

The reorganisation is an attempt to set in place staff vital to aid the recovery of the ailing authority whose progress is being closely monitored by the government. The government has okayed the spending.

Calling for a special meeting of the full council, Cllr McDonald said: "The Tories are spending money like Monopoly money. Already thousands of pounds have been poured into the recovery plan and before any more is spent we need to discuss what benefits a new team of highly paid officials will do to achieve it."

Cllr Norton retorted that many of their present ills are a result of Labour's term in charge and Cllr McDonald's chairmanship of the finance committee.

He said: "I, and the cabinet, support the restructuring plan and I hope we get members' support.

"The recovery programme is vital and restructuring, that is ensuring the right people are in the right jobs making the right decisions, is vital to that recovery."