The leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and Grant Shapps are at loggerheads over the ongoing bin strike following an open letter from the MP.
In an open letter to WHBC's leader, Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Zukowskyj, Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps to "end the chaos your administration as already brought".
"Over the past twenty years, Conservatives ran this council looking after local residents and without a single bin strike," wrote Mr Shapps.
"Under your administration it has taken a matter of weeks for the threat of rubbish piling up to become all too real."
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Mr Shapps outlined a host of questions he wanted clarification on, before continuing: "Residents will rightly expect to see a timely response to the important points raised above, and more importantly, we want the bin collection service, for which we pay our taxes, back on track.
"Please therefore end the chaos your administration as already brought to Welwyn Hatfield."
Cllr Zukowskyj only took the role of council leader last month, after the Conservatives lost overall control in May's local elections and a Labour-Lib Dem joint-administration took charge.
He was quick to point out that the strike action was balloted for under the Conservative administration, who also gave Urbaser the waste contract back in 2020.
"You will be aware that Urbaser was selected as the waste contractor for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in 2020 and began delivering services under the former Conservative administration," he wrote in a letter of response.
READ MORE: Welwyn Hatfield residents raise concerns over bin strikes
"You will also be aware that the current strike action taking place by Unite was balloted for and accepted under that Conservative Administration, citing the low pay and conditions signed off by the former Conservative administration.
"In recent years Welwyn Hatfield has seen several instances where some or all bins due to be collected have been missed, during the pandemic of course, multiple snow disruptions, and also previous strike action that has taken place, all under the former Conservative administration.
"I am sure you will agree that local residents would greatly appreciate their MP working in a collegiate and non-partisan way to resolve this issue rather than any perception that you are simply seeking to make cheap political capital by blaming the current administration for the contract and strike action all agreed under the former Conservative administration."
Cllr Zukowskyj was also keen to point out Mr Shapps' failure to find a resolution when railway workers went on strike during his time as Secretary of State for Transport.
"Your insight into the dispute is appreciated, given your vast experience in Government of having to deal with significant industrial disputes," he said.
READ MORE: Food and recycling bin collections suspended as Welwyn Hatfield strikes go ahead
"It is noteworthy, however, that as Minister of Transport, disruption to so many of your residents in Welwyn Hatfield caused by the rail workers multiple strikes did not prompt you to intervene, as you clearly could have, despite you now urging me to take remarkably similar action."
Councillor Tony Kingsbury, who was leader of the council when Urbaser were awarded the waste contract and strike action was agreed, has also hit out at the new joint-adminstration.
"Residents throughout Welwyn Hatfield will be hoping this isn't the kind of thing they can come to expect from their new Lib Dem-Labour council, especially given there was never a strike like this over the 20 years the Conservatives were running the council," he said
"Hopefully a speedy agreement will be reached, and that disruption can be kept to a minimum.
"The people who'll really suffer here are the Welwyn Hatfield residents, to whom these strikes will be so disruptive and damaging."
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