Re: Council tax U-turn

In article <dhh05o$kh6$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Adam Gray) wrote:

> "Colin Rosenstiel" <rosenstiel@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:memo.20050928215805.2160i@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > In article <dhenm4$ncd$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> > adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Adam Gray) wrote:
> >
> >> > Cambridge operates pre-scrutiny almost entirely, though we have
> >> > had an inquiry into grants which was more in the post-scrutiny
> >> > model. All have to date been chaired by the majority party. The
> >> > committees are scrutinising decisions before they are made,
> >> > though.
> >>
> >> But why don't you allow the opposition to chair them, albeit
> >> retaining a majority on the scrutiny panel?
> >
> > Because it's our programme that is being scrutinised in the
> > pre-scrutiny process. The inquiry might have been
> > opposition-chaired but the opposition had a hissy fit and refused
> > to take part, saying it was the Executive's job to take all the
> > decisions. Doh!
>
> It's extraordinary how oppositions of all parties behave...my point
> remains though that perhaps it's not best practice for the
> administration to determine whether or not the opposition "deserves"
> to chair scrutiny bodies - they're not exactly impartial observers.

That's not unfair but the refusal of the opposition to participate in
the council's constitutional organs is not what any other opposition
party (including themselves in the 1970s) has ever done and makes it
difficult to take them seriously, especially when there are 21 backbench
members of the majority group with rights as much as the 14 opposition
members.

The claim to opposition chairs would be better founded if they were
using their rights to initiate agenda items. They do chair one of our
area committees though.

--
Colin Rosenstiel
.

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