Labour Portfolio holder admits responsibility for budget control.

10.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 26th Apr 2008

Responsibility for the Eastern Transport Corridor was once in the hands of Labour Councillor Nick Wallis, formerly portfolio holder for Transport. Councillor Wallis expressly stated in his blog that responsibility for ensuring the project came in on budget lay with him. He wrote: "Overseeing the completion date and budget will be a key task."

The Council are trying to pass the blame on to officers who have left, or who were sick at the time, yet it seems they need look no further than the Portfolio holder, if blame is to be applied. Cllr Wallis accepts that budgetary responsibility rested with him - and by implication, with his successor, Cllr David Lyonette.