EARLY ONE MORNING.........................
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Stansted North on Uttlesford District Council and former Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Learn more
by Alan Dean on 16 October, 2014
“Toxic Tories” is a label normally associated with the national party. It cropped up this week over benefits and people with disabilities. The alliterative description has now been given to Uttlesford District Council’s Conservative Group. See this article in this morning’s Dunmow Broadcast. A similar article in the Saffron Walden Reporter headlines the prospect that a new council group allied to the residents’ group WeAreResidents may be about to be born.
Item 10 on the agenda for next Tuesday’s council meeting is Membership of committees and working groups. There is no associated paper, but I have it on good authority – and anyway, it was obvious as soon as I saw it yesterday – that the Tory group was intending to boot Keith Mackman off the planning committee. Time will soon tell whether their little plot has been kiboshed by this little political upheaval.
This week’s and next week’s events may make a bit more likely the prospect of a coalition administration of various independent groups and the Lib Dems running Uttlesford from next May instead of the toxic Tories. Of course, running a council is a lot more than planning and local plans.
With regard to my position on the planning committee, I always had a contingency plan to safeguard that.
Losing my place on sundry working groups (such as the local plan working group….what a waste of time that was) is of no consequence. Speaks volumes for the ‘leadership’ that it was not considered necessary to discuss the matter with me.
The agenda item next week is another example of the petty, spiteful and secretive behaviour that is so common at UDC. It remains to be seen whether my plan trumps theirs….who would you bet on?
I am not convinced a change of faces with a change of party will lead to a change in policies or political culture. The portrayal of demonic Tories is all very emotive, but a different rosette will not comfort me because I consider political parties to be inherently self-interested and mendacious – it’s a sentiment that is widely felt and with complete justification given the corruption of the British establishment.
I want to see credible constitutional changes that ensure open, transparent government and accountability starting first and foremost with the abolition of the cabinet, a weakening of executive management, the empowerment of the council chamber and secrecy as a rare exception, not the norm. I want to see credible alternatives to this wretched local plan and all service providers giving cast iron guarantees that housing expansion will lead to vastly improved primary health and educational facilities with minimum standards of provision. I want public consultations to be consultations and not some window dressing to meet the requires of the Localism Act. Otherwise, it’s just propaganda fluff and the alternative groups will behave the same as the current lot. We’re only a few months from a district election and I’ve seen nothing to convince me to vote for anything. It’s just complaints about the present lot.
The new group that I have just joined may prove more to your taste Daniel.
They share your desire to devolve power away from an executive, to hold service providers to account and have a solid local plan. The latter will be a priority and I think residents will be pleasantly surprised by the consultation process (we will listen and respond)
As a new party the first months are likely to be difficult but if I did not believe that it was a serious, principled and focused group I would never have joined.
Only since my involvement with planning matters have I become aware of the lack of transparency in Uttlesford D Council and the pathetic scrutiny committee. I am dismayed at the old fashioned management style. It is akin to UK in the 1960s and has no place in modern society. The way that a few members are allowed to make decisions and come up with trumped up reasons for them without being properly challenged is tragic.
I am appalled at the way some of our locally elected councillors forget their electorate in order to gain favour with the “Cabinet” members to become one of the inner sanctum to either increase their salary, ego, or some other reasons. I will be very careful who I vote for in the future and will do my best to engage those that don’t vote or don’t think they have a say to demand more from our councillors and UDC council. I agree with the previous comments that unless we have visibility and real commitment to change the “North Korean” style of council will continue. MPs just don’t get it and still wonder why people are turned off by politics. I would be persuaded to vote for WeAreResidents candidates and I will be asking some tough questions beforehand.
I am reassured that the new party shares the aim of openness and devolution, including a major overhaul of the decision making system (cabinet), with the Liberal Democrats. That will be one of our priorities. We look forward to views on that (and other topics) being put forward by anyone who comes along to the Open Door policy workshop at Stansted Day Centre from 11 a.m. on Saturday November 1st.