South Wales Evening Post - 26 May 2007
It is all very well Labour and Conservative representatives on Swansea Council complaining when things go wrong with the expensive e-government programme (Post, May 21) but I do feel that we need a reality check on this issue.
The fact is that the problems started as soon as the then Labour cabinet decided in August 2003 to approve plans to procure a private sector partner to deliver the scheme.
The Lib Dem-led administration continued with the programme when they came to power in June 2004 despite the fact that they could have halted it there and then.
When the decision to actually sign up a private company came along in December 2005, the Conservatives were actually part of the ruling Swansea administration.
Surely, if they had concerns, then they could have voted against progressing with the contract. They did not, and indeed the cabinet which they were part of, went ahead with it.
While I agree that there are serious questions that need answering in terms of the e-government programme, it should not be left unnoted that those two parties played a key role in its development.
Rather than trying to score political points, parties need to wait until all available research and information has been presented to council. That is the time to make political judgements.
Dai Lloyd AM, Plaid Cymru, Swansea
