Monday, March 13, 2006

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF SCRUTINY

After the abortive attempt last month to get the Scrutiny Committee resurrected as a disproportional, all-opposition-controlled body, with me as Chair, and the lack of any known, positive initiative on this issue since then from the LibDem and Independent groups, Deborah and I have decided we have had enough of messing around and will accept a Conservative offer of one of their places on the existing committee for the duration of this Council.

Additionally we have agreed that Deborah will nominate me to Wednesday's Full Council as Chair of the existing committee and the Conservatives will support. We would have preferred to have some acquiescence with this from the other groups, but that is clearly not going to happen.

However, there will first be another attempt to convert the Scrutiny Committee to disproportional lines - in line with last month plans - and we hope that the other groups will support this and then engage fully with the new Committee. If not, I will still hope that they will take their existing places on the currently proportional committee.

No comments: