Scrutiny (was: "Council tax U-turn")
- From: John M Ward <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 09:23:37 GMT
First: it's about time this moved to a more appropriate subject/thread:
In article <dhkfg2$8ql$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Adam Gray <adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> "Mike Drew" <Mike.Drew@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:InMppn.12r@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[some snippage]
> > The purpose of poliitcal groups is to share expertise so that not
> > everyone has to fully understand every issue.
> That's *one* purpose of a political group.
It is indeed. Especially for new members, or regarding an issue in
another ward, the sharing of "on the ground" knowledge is essential in
coming sensible decisions.
> It's not the only purpose.
This is also true, of course.
[some more snippage]
> >> Does your cabinet (or a political group therein, or your group)
> >> have a pre-meeting that is secret?
Ours doesn't, though they do talk to each other rather than operating in
isolation. Our Cabinet also makes only collective decisions, but it
seems to me that most of this comes about during their officer briefing
session before every Cabinet meeting.
> > I believe all the groups have pre meetings - although how well
> > attended I am not sure. The fact that they can makes the system no
> > better than the old system.
> The question must be asked then: if you are to be taken at face value
> in your assertion that councillors should be free to vote as they
> wish on all occasions, what purpose is served by a secret
> pre-meeting that reaches agreed positions for the public sessions
> and allows differences to be resolved behind closed doors so a more
> cohesive front can be presented to the wider world?
The main purpose of our group meetings is to discuss election issues,
new government legislation that impacts us, group admin matters such as
treasurer's reports, and what outside bodies (in particular
partnerships) our leaders have attended and what happened there.
We do discuss policy for all aspects of council work, but most of this
is sharing info and experience of the longer-serving members. This all
aids the decision-making and scrutiny processes, but would be tedious
for the public and could be awkward as we sometimes have to discuss
confidential matters and other matters that really shouldn't be put into
the public arena.
> You also fail to acknowledge the advantages of the new system: to me,
> the principal benefit is that it lays bear the true political
> process in councils, not disguising it by fait-accompli committees
> where votes have already been decided. How can you dispute that it
> is much more honest to the public to acknowledge that policy is
> decided in a closed cabinet meeting, not in a whipped, open
> committee subsequent to it?
The elimination of whipping (apart from full Council) is a benefit; but
that could have been done anyway without changing the entire system.
Another advantage claimed for scrutiny is calling witnesses -- but we
have done that for the whole time I've been on t Council (over five
years now) so is nothing new here.
Nothing necessitated a wholesale change; but -- funnily enough -- it is
our group who are the only party here treating scrutiny in the way it
was stated to be supposed to operate, and are the most determined to
make it work -- something we are succeeding in, as outsiude inspections
have acknowledged. The weakest in this regard, and the greatest abusers
of the scrutiny system (both before we took over the chairing and since)
are the Labour group, interestingly...
--
John M Ward - see http://www.horsted.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Conservative Councillor for Rochester South & Horsted ward, Medway
* Oppose electoral fraud, especially through postal votes
* Scrap the ODPM, SEERA, and the Standards Board for England
* Return all local decisions to local people
.
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