WATCHING PAINT DRY

Three days later and I can just about bother to write a very brief personal viewpoint of this month's Full Council.

Sadly, what appears to be a deliberate strategy of emasculating Council meetings over the last two years, came to its natural conclusion with a meeting that was so sterile and tedious it was entirely pointless.

Thanks to a ridiculously narrow interpretation of guidelines for Council's during election periods we were unable to discuss anything potentially controversial.

Of course the Council Leader tried to interpret the rules to his advantage, but I had to slap that down rapidly. One rule for all, not just for me !

An old observer of Council meetings said to me afterwards how changed it was from the days pre-2005, when Council meetings prior to a General Election were 'pretty fiery affairs'. Sadly I can't say who it was.

What happened in 2005 ? Well the Tories were elected of course..........

BOUND & GAGGED

Three weeks since I last posted. Longest gap ever, but I had a week or so away prior to Easter and have since been concentrating on the general election campaign.

On a personal level I was re-elected unopposed again with Tony Coburn to represent 'Newport East' on Newport Parish Council from June for a further 3 years. Pity really as I like elections, even taking account the work involved.......However, I will no longer be Parish Chair from 14 June as I am limited to a two year term.

This week was very illuminating in showing us what Cameron Tories are really like. There has been coverage in the local media, but briefly I was stopped from asking questions by the Tory Council Leader at Cabinet on Tuesday, and then had my Motion to next week's Full Council blocked by Council officers on very spurious grounds.

To be fair at Cabinet I managed to get my questions about the changes to refuse collections answered later in the meeting, but it was the very first time I have ever been blocked. And as the only opposition member at the meeting that is a very worrying development.

On my Motion seeking to re-direct the Council's massive media spending to future free school meals pilots for primary school children, should they be available. Well I was told that because the current pilots are mentioned in the Labour Party Election Manifesto officers could not allow the debate to take place, even though there are no policy commitments. When I complained I was told they would not change their mind and that the Tories had had a motion on proposed National Insurance increases blocked as well.

Frankly I see no correlation between the two . One is shamelessly and opportunistically about a clear Tory election commitment, the other is related to controversial Council expenditure being re-allocated to a possible continuing pilot in the future.....I would happily have debated both issues, but it seems officers run this Council at election time. Interestingly the first I knew they would not budge on my complaint was when I got a call from the CP................not hard to guess which part of the Council tipped them off. Nothing better to do, but tittle-tattle to journos.

Anyway as EVERYTHING on the Full Council agenda for next week is bound to be mentioned in a party manifesto somewhere I think I will turn up bound and gagged. In other words, a bit like a Tory backbench councillor...........