JUST seven of 22 questions put to Warrington Borough Council by members were dealt with – six from Labour councillors and one from rebel councillor Kevin Bennett.
The former Labour councillor (pictured), now sitting as a Socialist and Trade Unionist Coalition member , had tabled nine questions, but was only able to put one before time ran out.
Six questions asked by Liberal Democrat councillors were not able to be tabled because of the time limit.
Earlier, the controlling Labour Group had voted down suggestions that an extra half-hour be given for questions or that written answers be accepted for all of them.
After the meeting, Labour’s Cllr Hitesh Patel, said the ruling group had rejected a motion from Cllr Bennett to have an hour for questions rather than the normal half-an-hour because this would have involved suspending the council’s constitution.
The principle behind this decision was that opposition elected members could not expect to pick and choose when they wanted to ignore the council’s constitution.
“That would be gerrymandering of the worst kind and that is something Labour councillors would never support.
“The council’s constitution which all the political parties have approved, explicitly allows for 30 minutes for questions from elected members and that is usually enough. In the past when it has proved inadequate the executive board of the day would have provided written responses and that will happen on this occasion too.”
Conservative leader Cllr Paul Kennedy, who had suggested written answers be supplied to all 22 questions, in view of the time they would take, said the unusually high number of questions were clearly inspired by the impending General Election.
The questions that went unanswered
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