Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysay
Depoliticising local councils has always been a thing I have passionately believed in for many years, but I'm afraid that will never happen, especially when the former leader of the labour group often branded every Tory Councillor as a wast of space.
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I do not think that and have never said such a thing. What i have said on many occasions is that PB is one of the hardest working ward councillors. That Douglas Heyes is too. Add Brian Roberts, Judith Addison and believe it or not Marlene Haworth. These people are committed to their areas.
However the Council has a huge budget and the main reason for being a councillor is not to ensure a new park bench every now and again, but to run a £30m business and remember this is about jobs and prosperity, not charity with the constant flow of £100 cheques.
In that respect I stand by the view that the last lot, for whatever reason were incapable and that there are incapable Labour councils too.
Whatever the faults of political alliances, anything less would be a disaster. Last year the three independents pretty much had three opposite views on every subject "because independence is their byword". Without teamwork and cooperation and with the right of veto at any time it would be chaos and carnage. Just look at Lancaster. A new leader every two months, a new cabinet every 4 months, can't agree on policies, have no way at all of making progress with everyone reserving the right to vote against.
Worse; The Council is a huge business and needs to be divided up into about 14 leaders taking responsibility over different services. If each disagrees, how can the others make progress. If you start without a basis of compromise and direction how can you know you aren't wasting your time or that someone else is doing what you don't want in another position? You end up with the grotesque position of just wasting time and money on a grand scale and the whole Council collapses. You also end up inward looking as each independent fights for votes for a position whereas a leader nominates and the group is outward looking.