Neil's burden
How many Cornwall councillors will it take to defeat the proposed cuts budget? Not as many as you might think, but be prepared for a number of assumptions.
Assuming the Liberal Democrat and Mebyon Kernow groups join together in opposing the budget, they have about 43 seats in the council chamber between them. A motion needs 62 to be sure of success.
So the Lib Dem/MK groups would be 19 votes short - but again, I have to make an assumption that every single member of the 123-strong council attends and votes (which on past form is highly unlikely.) I am also assuming that council chairman Pat Harvey does not normally vote.
Councillor Neil Burden's job, as a senior member of the Cabinet and leader of the Independent political group, is to persuade enough of his 31 members (at least 13) to vote with the Conservatives. Given that nearly all of Neil's group are now getting drafted into local campaigns to save libraries and leisure centres this might not be so easy. Indeed, without the carrots and sticks (career prospects and whips) that go with a conventional political party I'd say Neil has quite a task on his hands.
For the Liberal Democrats and Mebyon Kernow, the mission is to find a clever form of words for some sort of budget amendment which, by 30th November, will command the support of at least 19 dissident Independent councillors.
Incidentally I'm often asked how councillors who are elected as "independent" suddenly find themselves members of a political group called "Independents." The answer is to be found in the financial rewards councillors get in return for sitting on several committees, working parties and other official bodies where appointment is within the gift of a political group leader.
Councillors elected as "independent" who stay outside of a political group risk isolation, with possibly only one full council meeting to attend each month. So it pays, literally, for independent councillors to join a political group and appoint each other to various committees where they can earn attendance allowance for the approved duty.
This is why some members of Cornwall Council's Cabinet describe themselves as "independent" and really believe it when they say they are not politicians. It's a question worth asking next time an "independent" council candidate asks for your vote.
I'm ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally.
Comment number 1.
At 26th Oct 2010, Andrew Wallis wrote:I think you should edit parts of your post as you have made an error. No Councillor gets an attendance allowance. This just does not happen. You can only claim for the mileage to that meeting. (that meeting has to be approved by the shortest route). There are no 'extra' bonuses for turning up. Many who do turn up do so to to take part, find information out and fight for those who have elected them.
Being in or out of a political party make no difference to what a Councillor gets in a basic allowance. Some like myself do get SRA for extra roles they take on. Even including the basic allowance and SRA this is still less than £15k per year (for me) and that includes all taxes, NI, mileage and other costs. Here is the link to those details:
Is that value for money? Well I will know come the election if people still vote cast their vote for me. As for being an Independent I think I would be the last person you could say is not.
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Comment number 2.
At 26th Oct 2010, Graham Smith wrote:My thanks to Andrew for correcting my error - I should not have used the word "attendance" and have been clumsy in trying to make my point. For clarity, I never said that political group membership made any difference to the basic allowance. My point was (and is) that different councillors receive different financial rewards proportional to their responsibilities, and those responsibilities depend almost entirely on membership of a political group. I would certainly not question Andrew's devotion to his constituents. But let's ask the question right here - Andrew, do you consider yourself a member of the Independent group, and if so, why did you join?
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Comment number 3.
At 26th Oct 2010, Andrew Wallis wrote:A fair question and one I will answer Yes and No. I know that may sound like sitting on the fence, but let me explain.
As a stand alone Councillor I would be allowed two committee seats. Those would not by my choosing, but in the gift of the full Council and therefore possible influenced by Group Leaders. I feel the best way to be influential on various committees that would serve those who elect me is to join a group like the Independents.
I wish I did not have too, and would rather not be in one. But because all seat on committees at a Council are politically assigned I have no choice. It would be better if you sat on a committee by ability, not what party/group you are in.
Even by being in this group I have made it perfectly clear that I would never vote as a group. There are many in the Independent Group that feel the same. Sometimes sitting around the table with like minded people has a benefit in the ability to share views. I would sit around the table with others from different groups, but never been invited.
For any 'leader' of the Independent Group has a difficult task. It would be like herding cats. Impossible. At least in the Independent you can still vote how you feel and what will be best for those you serve on any given subject. Unlike other groups when one puts up a hand, they all follow.
I would prefer that all committees had no political balancing. We should decide and make decisions for the greater good of Cornwall, not political points. Most people would not care who emptied their bins as long as it was done cheaply and regularly as possible.
In over 18 months I have not had one person from my Division who has raised the issue on groupings. I am not saying there is not, but no one has challenged me on it. I believe all they want from me is to do the best I can for them and Cornwall. If I fail to do that, then I am sure I will answer for it at the Ballot Box.
There are many in the different groups at Cornwall Council who have flown under different party colours at one stage. I have always been Independent and will remain so. I was complemented by one very senior political party member last year. They said "Andrew, you are one of the few truly independent Councillors at Cornwall Council".
At the last Unitary Elections I was asked by 2 different parties to stand. I refused both.
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Comment number 4.
At 26th Oct 2010, Stephen Richardson wrote:There can be no doubt that a 'group of independents' is an oxymoron. Either they are independent or they are part of a group. If the independents were truly so in general (and this is not aimed at Andrew Wallis in particular)then there could be no Conservative administration. It is clear that the independents ARE acting as a group or the current administration would not be able to function.
I can see that Cllr Wallis is a big beneft to the committees that he stands on(it is clear that he has a great deal of integrity), however, even if there is no financial advantage to being in a 'group' of independents, there is clearly a political advantage to individuals. The price to be paid for this is to support the Conservatives often enough to keep the administration going. I find it hard to believe that sufficient independents really agree with Conservative policies on such a frequent basis - if they did surely they would be better off in the Conservatve party?
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