I went along to a Cabinet meeting tonight for the first time since I stood down as Scrutiny Chair last May. In that role I saw attendance as an integral part of the job - but tonight was for some sort of personal, masochistic 'pleasure' !
The new, tame Scrutiny Chair wasn't there, which is no real surprise. After all they were only making decisions about our schools, concessionary bus fares, planning performance and enforcement, budget overspend, the Undercliff Drive project, and performance measures. Nothing too troubling in the world of an independent.......though I guess there was probably good reason.
The meeting went on for about four times as long as the average Sutton Cabinet, and gave me welcome opportunity to ask questions as I desired - until I thought I better shut up as time pressed on.
Amazingly - and at last - I secured recognition from two Cabinet members for the work the old Scrutiny Committee did that informed the 'planning performance' decision they made tonight, and the Wightcare delegated decision of last month. This is the first public acknowledgement we have ever had, though they will probably be gushing in the future...........
The other news of the day - COUNCILLOR REFUSES TO RESIGN AFTER INVESTIGATION - I will leave for now, other than to observe: when will all of this stop ?
3 comments:
Well done. What is pleasing to know is that despite the hassle and vitriol that was the norm at the time of your stewardship of Scrutiny, carefully researched and well written reports undertaken by well meaning people eventually surface.
Why does Cllr Whittaker not explain himself? If I were accused of taking money or property from a charity I would want to explain to as many people as possible as often as possible why it was all a misunderstanding? If that is what it was, why the silence?
I know both IWR and the CP have asked him for his version of events but he refuses to comment, so far at least.
Some belief that not adding fuel to the fire will make it all go away ?
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