Murky goings on have emerged from last week’s election for a Chairman of Boston Borough Council’s Environment and Performance Committee – with  last minute wheeling and dealing apparently robbing the candidate anticipated to be the favourite for the job.
Members of the committee are: Councillors Stuart Ashton,  Alison Austin, Mark Baker, Elliott Fountain, Paul Goodale, James Knowles, Paul Mould, Gloria Smith, Aaron Spencer, Carol Taylor and Mary Wright.
This report comes to us from the former committee chairman – Brian Rush – who recently resigned as an Independent councillor …  in part in protest at the abuse of the democratic process.
He writes:

I have to assume that an accurate account has been related to me, regarding the behaviour of our ruling group during the Overview and Scrutiny Meeting.

The item in question was the selection of Chairperson, for which two candidates had been put forward.

In order for readers to be aware of the ‘special circumstances’ regarding ‘chairmanships of committees,’ it is important to know the position adopted during the BBI  administration by certain members of the new ruling group and its leader, Peter Bedford.

The ‘opposition’ at that time took a very strong stance against the ‘allocation’ of chairs that was considered to be anti-democratic – so much so that opposition members refused to sit on any committees.

Councillors Raymond Singleton-McGuire, Mike Brookes, Peter Bedford, Colin Brotherton, Maureen Dennis and Mike Gilbert subscribed to this.

The ruling group’s actions instigated an intervention by the Local Government Association Improvement Board, and chairmanships formed part of their concerns.

They recommended that in order to address political openness, it was good practice to offer chairmanships to opposition groups.

Councillor Carol Taylor, an Independent, put herself forward for Chair of Scrutiny last Wednesday evening to challenge Councillor Mark Baker (Conservative) who as Vice Chairman replaced myself, Brian Rush.

Councillor Taylor had been given personal assurances by two Conservative councillors of their support.

At the eleventh hour she received this from one of them,  Councillor Paul Mould:

“I told Mary I would not second Mark Baker for chairman at the planning meeting yesterday, and Peter (Bedford) phoned me last night. 

“He says that the position has changed, and the chairman of scrutiny committees will now be able to prevent council decisions, so Eric Pickles (the Communities and Local Government Secretary) has advised that it is vital where possible to have Conservative chairmen.  He argued with me for   20 minutes and in the end promised I would get a chairman position in April.

He was trying to get in touch with Gloria, but she has flitted.  I will be voting for Mark but, if Gloria still votes for you, you should win 6-5.

Sorry to let you down but I hope you still win.”

Councillor Taylor tells me that in open forum, Councillor Gloria Smith announced that she had also ‘been told something today that had now led her to withdraw her promise’ to support Councillor Taylor, and decided to abstain.

I passed the following to Councillor Taylor before the meeting, when I heard of the reasons for Councillor Mould`s change of position.

The constitution says under PART 4 (Section E) 17. The party whip 17.1

(a) The DETR guidance views whipping as incompatible with Overview and Scrutiny.

(b) When considering any matter in respect of which a Member of an O&S Committee is subject to a party  whip,  the member must declare the existence of the whip and the nature of it before the commencement of the committee’s deliberations on the matter.

The declaration and the detail of the whipping arrangements shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

 A party whip is "any instruction given by or on behalf of a political group to any member of that group as to how the councillor shall speak or vote on any matter before council or any committee or sub-committee, or threat to apply any sanction by the group in respect of that councillor, should she or he speak or vote in a particular manner. This must be declared.

This I believe is a very serious situation, not only unconstitutional, but there are obvious acts of discrimination taking place by senior conservative members, supported by officers of the council who may well also be in breach of the equal opportunities policy of the council.

Even if the Pickles thing were true, which I find very difficult to believe, this would have to go before full council in order to effect the change. Our constitution as written now is what we are bound by.

Peter Bedford must be brought to book for this!

Opposition Members should now stand up and be counted and call in the ‘Government’ to examine this despicable behaviour.

 

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