LABOUR councillors at Warrington have been accused of an abuse of power in the run up to today’s annual meeting of the borough council.
Cllr Bob Barr, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on the council, says the Labour group on the council is taking immediate advantage of their strong local election showing by packing regional committees with their own members and stifling debate by councillors.
During the last council year, Labour allowed Liberal Democrats one place on the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel and continued the long-standing practice of allowing them one place on the Fire Authority.
But without warning, last Friday, the secretary of the Labour Group instructed a council officer to let the Liberal Democrat Group know that their places on the police panel and the Fire Authority will now be taken by Labour members.
Said Cllr Barr: “This is an abuse of power by the Labour Group – particularly as the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner is a Labour Colleague of the Warrington councillors. They are ensuring there is no Liberal Democrat on the Police and Crime Panel to check that the Labour Commissioner doesn’t overstep the mark.
“Likewise, there will now be no Liberal Democrat representation on the Cheshire Fire Authority with only Labour and Conservatives to hold the service to account. This is an affront to democracy and makes a mockery of the proportionality rules.
“To make matters worse the Labour Group is seeking an amendment to the Council constitution which will prevent councillors who are members of the Council’s Scrutiny Committee, or the Executive Board, from asking to have decisions re-examined through a call-in procedure.
“This effectively makes councillors on those two committees less
equal than all other members of the Council because they are prevented from questioning the council’s decision-making procedures.
“Having won a safe majority, and not having to face voters for four years, has made the Labour leadership of the Council more arrogant and less transparent than ever, as we warned.
“We very much hope that the Labour Group will re-consider these rash decisions at the annual council and change their minds.
“Whether they do or not, we will continue to hold them to account for their actions and the decisions they make on behalf of Warrington and Cheshire residents.”
Lib Dem leader Cllr Bob Barr
Labour accused of “abuse of power”
33 Comments
3 Comments
For once I agree with Bob Barr. Mixing politics with policing was always the wrong move, the two functions are poles apart, and the former should not have political (with a small p) or operational control over the latter. There was no public discussion or consultation on the creation of PCCs they were foisted upon a very reluctant electorate as the first elections for them confirmed. This time round the increase in numbers voting was a direct function of holding the PCC election during the local elections.
Holding local elections ever four years might have supposedly saved money, but it was never going to benefit the voters.
With regards to the Fire Authority, Members are paid, so no doubt there will be a long queue of Councillors keen to be a Member of the Fire Authority……
Considering the ‘behind closed doors’ antics of Barr, Marks & Co when they were in power, statements like this are just pathetic! ‘Democracy’ and ‘transparency’ meant nothing during their dictatorship.
After bare-faced lying to the public about their intentions to offload Walton Hall and Gardens to a hotel group Barr, Marks & Co within minutes, behind closed doors, voted for full steam ahead with the project. And though members of their own party were, on one hand telling us how much they disagreed with the disgraceful decision they were too afraid of upsetting their leaders to call the decision in to scrutiny.