WHY I WON'T BE THE NEXT CHAIR OF SCRUTINY

Some of my readers are aware that I was going to be nominated to Full Council as the next Chair of a properly opposition-controlled Scrutiny Committee last night. However, it did not happen and I have now withdrawn from future consideration.

Labour were asked by the administration three weeks ago to consider making a nomination that they would then support. Deborah Gardiner and I agreed it should be me, as the one opposition councillor who is able to and does attend as many meetings as possible to hold to account this Council leadership.

Before I would let my name go forward I had two stipulations. One that the new committee should be as inclusive of opposition members as possible, and two that there would not be significant opposition from the other opposition groups. I achieved the first with agreement from the administration that all but two opposition members of the 12 in total would be able to be on the committee, together with 4 Tories and the 3 lay members.

However, before last night's Full Council it became clear that there was enough opposition from the LibDems and Independents to my being Chair to imperil the plan. So it was decided to defer this discussuion until next month.

Today Deborah and I accepted that the LibDems and Indpendents will never agree with a Labour councillor being Chair the Scrutiny Committee, so I have withdrawn. Hopefully we will still get the opposition-controlled committee I have suggested next month, but it will have to be a different Chair.

It remains to be seen who that will be and whether they will give the commitment and insight into the role of scrutiny that the position requires. On their record over the last seven months, I am not optimistic, but Deborah and I will go along with just about anyone who is put forward - with one or two exceptions - in the interests of having effective and robust formal scrutiny of this Tory administration. We do this in the interests of Islanders, not our personal egos.