POLITICAL unity was almost achieved at Swindon’s civic offices last night as councillors took turns to praise the Dial A Ride service.

Two motions had been tabled at the full council meeting calling for the withdrawal of a proposed £50,000 cut to the service – one from the Labour group, the other from backbench Tory councillors.

But after the Conservative administration performed a U-turn the two motions became one – proposed by a Conservative councillor and backed by a Labour member.

The accord did not last long however, with the Labour group warning residents to “keep a jaundiced eye” on the administration and one Tory councillor accusing the opposition of “scurrilous lies”.

Coun Doreen Dart (Con, Blunsdon) was so angered by the partisan posturings that she publicly apologised to Dial A Ride supporters, who had waited three hours to hear the debate. Eventually a resolution was unanimously agreed that the council supported the value of Dial A Ride in enabling independent living for vulnerable people. It pledged to continue to work with the group, but stopped short of giving the assurances sought by the management group that no more cuts would be proposed in the future.