Tories’ Major Council Changes will Gag Opposition Councillors (South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@secambslibdems.org.uk>

Tories’ Major Council Changes will Gag Opposition Councillors

May 17, 2011 9:39 AM

Outraged Liberal Democrats have accused the ruling Tory group on Cambridgeshire County Council of "appalling double standards" after trying to rush through major constitutional changes with less than 24 hours notice.

On the one hand the Tories are planning to abolish secret policy meetings - a significant victory for the Lib Dems - but on the other they are attempting to gag opposition councillors by curtailing questions in public.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Fiona Whelan said: "The Tories are doing everything in their power to push through decisions without question.

"They are trying to silence opposition councillors by restricting the amount of time they have in public to question their decisions. This is anti democratic and cannot be allowed to happen.

"On the one hand they are trying to appear transparent by getting rid of secret meetings but on the other, they are restricting open discussion. These changes reflect appalling double standards."

The changes have been drawn up by the Conservative County Council Leader, Nick Clarke without input from officers or members and will be pushed through at full council on Tuesday, May 17 within days of Mr Clarke taking up his new position.

Opposition councillors have been given less than 24 hours notice of the changes which will be introduced at the council meeting as a matter of urgent business. Lib Dems claim, however, that they do not qualify on that basis and the law requires that public and councillors are given one week's notice of items for decision by council.

The changes include abolishing all discussion and questions on Cabinet decisions. Instead, councillors will have just one hour for oral questions. Lib Dems could get as little as three oral questions.

Written questions will be limited to 13 which will also be allocated proportionally; Lib Dems will be given just five.

By contrast, the Tories are abolishing Policy Development Group meetings which the Lib Dems refused to attend because they were held in private. They will be replaced by Overview and Scrutiny Committees where on all but one, the chair and vice chair will be Tories.

The Lib Dems plan to fight the move to introduce the constitutional changes at tomorrow's meeting.

Cllr Whelan added: "It is completely outrageous that significant constitutional changes can be introduced with less than 24 hours notice and presented to council. The Tories have totally disregarded the views of opposition members in this decision.

"We represent our residents in our wards and it is important that we can question decisions on their behalf. The Lib Dems believe in localism - clearly it means nothing to the Tories."