March 1, 2001 16:47: LIB Dems walked out of a Buckinghamshire County Council meeting when the Conservatives slapped a guillotine on matters they wanted debated.

The row was all about the Council Plan, which sets out the council's aims for the next five years in broad detail and was drawn up by the cabinet after consultation with the public.

Cllr Crawford's group tabled 26 amendments to the plan, but had only got through two, when Tory councillor Mark Greenburgh said this was not on and proposed the debate ended.

Cllr Crawford told the Free Press the council plan had to be agreed by the full council.

She said: "It is a most important document and all council policies flow from it. What is the point of the county council if we can't debate these issues?"

The meeting was adjourned for 30 minutes after the walk-out. Council leader David Shakespeare promised to take the Lib Dem suggestions away, look at them in cabinet and bring them back to the next council meeting.

Cllr Crawford said the debate on the Lib Dem amendments would have taken a couple of hours.

She added: "I don't think a couple of hours on the Council Plan, which underpins things for the next five years, is out of the way. To expect it to be done in 15 minutes is not on."

The Plan, under the heading, 'Buckinghamshire committed to quality', has 11 broad aims. Five are general and about things like quality of life, working with others, leading in the community and being open and accountable.