WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL OF THAT ?

Went along to the existing Tory-controlled Scrutiny Committee last night - I've not missed one yet. Found it even more under their control than usual with FOUR Tories at the table, plus the three co-opted people; so there wasn't even a pretence at them not controlling the scrutiny function. It was just like the LibDem/Island First days - an administration scrutinising themselves. Who polices the police ? The Council's performance assessors will love it ! Can hardly wait until May......

For the second meeting running there was no County Press presence - showing how irrelevant this committee is in their eyes. And for the third meeting in succession in its current guise (and there only have been three), there was no LibDem or Independent observer at the meeting. I find this astonishing. I accept that the committee is not what it should be, but surely a serious and responsible political group would keep a watching brief, as Labour does ? I increasingly get the feeling that self-importance is of more concern to some of the other opposition members than seriously challenging this Tory administration.

This committee no longer has a Chair after Garry Price's resignation last month, and the 'over our dead bodies' response of the LibDems and Independents to the idea of me being Chair of a reformed, truly opposition-controlled Scrutiny Committee. Consequently we had the alarming sight of one of the co-opted people being elected Chair for the evening. Nothing personal in my objection to this, but exactly who is she accountable to ? She was not elected - rather she was appointed by the Tories.

Indeed the format of these meetings smacks of a bureaucracy rather than a democracy. Unlike the Cabinet, Full Council, and now the Commissions, there is no facility or even ad hoc invitation for either members of the public who may go along or observing Councillors - like myself - to ask questions about what is going on.

What is going on, as Marvin Gaye famously asked, indeed ? (Musical references apparently now being all the rage at County Hall). This meeting was establishing a number of lines of enquiry for the next few months, all bar one of which were planning applications related. Forgive me if you think these are the key areas for scrutiny of this Council, but I would suggest that more enquiries on subjects like the other one they agreed last night - future affordable housing provision - are far more relevant to ordinary Islanders. But this is what you get when 3 of the Tory members on the committee are also members of the Development Control Committee.

I had to leave after that, but as my 18 year old son, who I made accompany me for the hour or so I was there, said 'What was the point of all of that?'.