Where's the pork?
This is what Cornwall Council's press release said about Cabinet Support Members on Friday:
"The Leader of the Council's Independent Group John Wood said that the Independents had been consulted on these changes and were pleased with the progress made by the Leader of the Council."
The Indie group deputy leader, Mike Clayton, has just read a short statement to today's full council meeting saying his group has yet to be convinced of the need for CSMs and had therefore not (yet) appointed anyone to fill the vacant education portfolio.
Perhaps I'm not the only one who thinks the Indies had been bought rather cheaply. And councillor Fiona Ferguson, narrowly defeated in the Conservative group election for leader, has just said she does not support council leader Alec Robertson on this issue. And by a secret vote of 55-35, the council votes against paying CSMs.
The plot thickens...
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 18th May 2011, John Macloud wrote:A lot of this nonsense could be avoided if the Council adopted a committee system instead of continuing with the so called "cabinet" system. Allowing 10 people out of 123 councillors to make virtually all the decisions is divisive and disenfranchises the other 113 councillors who have little or no say in what goes on. A committee system would involve them all in decision making and allow groups of councillors to become fully involved in specific areas ( e.g. adult social care).
There seems though to be no sign that the Council is going to discuss whether to return to a Committee system ( as will be permitted when the provisions in the Localism Bill come into effect). Perhaps this is not surprising if the Leader or Cabinet sets the agenda for what will or will not be discussed. Perhaps some "ordinary" councillors will pick this up and at least ask for the debate on this to start.
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