Re: Council tax U-turn

"Jennifer Liddle" <js10@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:433979b6$0$522$da29aeef@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Adam Gray wrote:
>
>> Which party heads scrutiny functions in Cambridge?
>
> In Cambridge the ruling party has a majority on the scrutiny committees;
> but any member (actually I think it's any two members) can call for any
> decision to be scrutinised.
>
> How do other councils do it?

I don't have a problem with the largest party having the largest number of
councillors on the committee - indeed, proportionality is required; that's
not quite what I asked though: to clarify, who chairs the scrutiny panels?

In respect of other boroughs, it depends a) on how secure the political
leadership feels it is in making decisions and b) how serious the opposition
parties are at making the new system work, so several councils have
opposition scrutiny chairs and in my view that's no bad thing. It becomes
it if the opposition then decide to exploit this responsibility for their
own party-political ends; for example by using it as a soap box just to
promote their own issues, or to give disproportionate time to councillors
from their own side, or to drag meetings out frivolously.

On the other hand, it probably shouldn't be for the majority party to
determine whether a minority party is conducting meetings appropriately or
not.

Adam


.

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