In the CP's softly-softly interview with the new leader of the Council today he is quoted as wanting 'to involve the Council's opposition members in the process (of listening), should they wish to engage'.
Such a short memory ! The Labour (and it has to be said independent) members of the Council have always engaged with the Council as fully as possible - until last May. Labour did it more fully through the old Scrutiny Committee when I was Chair, and the committee attempted to have input into policy and advice on decision-making. But the Tories didn't like it and broke their promises to me - made by the now leader.
Ever since the new Scrutiny Committee, barring one rare incident over Shanklin Theatre, has generally been a Tory cheerleaders forum.
If the new leader really wants to listen to opposition members he could start by creating a proper opposition-run internal Scrutiny Committee, which also dealt with performance review - and leave the current committee to the external stuff that will need to be done in the months to come.
But he won't.
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