TORY DIDDUMS

The first meeting of the new Scrutiny Committee yesterday afternoon - which is basically the only Council forum where opposition members have a majority. Purpose is to examine decisions of the new Council leadership and make contrary recommendations to Cabinet. We have one place, which is Deborah Gardiner this year and then we will rotate each May.

Only five of the 11 members turned up ! Deborah, 2 of the 3 independents, one of the 3 LibDems, and one of the 4 Tories. Three of the Tories refused to arrive until 6pm as they objected to a public meeting starting at 4pm in line with their manifesto pledge, even though they had agreed this in a 'development' session a few weeks earlier. Interestingly two of the four Policy Commissions that they control were originally scheduled for 4pm and were only recently changed to 6pm. At 6pm sharp two of the absentees ostentatiously joined the meeting. It was just like the school playground used to be !

The committee looked at the recent decision to abandon a move to a 2-tier school system, with Cabinet member for education Cllr Joyce saying it would make 'no iota of difference' if the committee found the decision to be disproportionate and not based on evidence.

Very interesting that when they considered the need to make an estimated £9million of cuts to next year's budget to meet the Tory manifesto commitment, the one Tory councillor present, Cllr Cunningham, was blaming the government ! Clearly he has yet to work out that these cuts are planned because of his parties' promises and before they have any idea what the government grant settlement is for 2006-7. Another example of a Tory who has absolutely no idea of what his party promised the electorate at the elections. Scary !