AN INAPPROPRIATE PERSON

In February 2006 the following was said by my colleague, Cllr Gardiner, to the prospective new Chair of Scrutiny the last time she had expressed interest in the role . It was after that year's Budget Council meeting:

"As your emails to me have said, you probably won't like this... I'm sorry but we could not support you as Chair of the Scrutiny Committee. We would have been entirely neutral on this matter until last night when I walked into the Council Chamber to hear you supporting a move to the vote without the Opposition having had the chance to speak. You then spoke and indicated that if Opposition members were not there (including members of your own group who had, unlike you, chosen to attend the briefing from the Assistant Chief Executive) then they have lost their rights.

It comes to something when the Leader of the Council (whatever his motives might have been for doing so…) stands up for the rights of Opposition members to be fairly treated more vigorously than a Member of the Opposition, indeed an Opposition Group Leader.

The Chair of Scrutiny must, in my opinion, believe that opposition members have a fundamental right to scrutinise, have access to information, the tools to the do the job well and, at time, criticise. After last night where you tried to marginalise the Opposition, including your own group members, and take away their opportunity (always previously exercised) to have a break to consider what has been presented and then make a response; we do not feel you would have the mind-set to provide what the Administration and we want – an effective, robust Opposition Chair of Scrutiny."

This is why we will make a fuss if the appointment is proposed next Wednesday.

NB The Scrutiny meeting planned for 25 October has been cancelled due to the unavailablity of a certain Cabinet member and his chief officer. Next one will be 12 weeks after the last one......