Only 11% Feel Involved in Council Decision-Making

When the Lib Dems put questions to the council, they did not expect the torrent of party-political statements which were produced as answers.

At a meeting of the full council on 27th April, Cllr Lees asked how the council might improve on the mere 11% who currently feel involved in decision-making (the statistic coming from the latest Residents Survey). He also asked if the council had a role in trying to encourage voluntary activity (some 71% of respondents to the survey said they had not undertaken any voluntary activity of any kind in the past year). Other formal questions included one from Cllr Key who was concerned at possible vandalism as Cox Lane Day Centre closes its daytime activities, one from Cllr Morgan about combating possible misuse of Blue Badges and two questions from Cllr Taylor on how "consultation" had been conducted prior to introducing Blue Badge parking charges.

It is not so much the full answers to these perfectly legitimate formal questions to the council - an excellent process for teasing out detail, policy and intention - but the tone of the answers and the complete irrelevance of some of the points made by those who are currently in control of our borough council.

For example in the answer to Cllr Taylor's question on consultation re Blue Badge charges, Cllr Robert Leach (leader of the Residents' Party) says

"..... the parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrat party, who has issued a leaflet implying that the Residents Association movement endorses him ....."

A further question from Cllr Taylor about other boroughs and their charges for Blue Badge holders produced

".... the Liberal Democrats use the disabled for party political purposes. the Residents Association group help the disadvantaged out of compassion ..." from Cllr Robert Leach.

Cllr Lees's question concerning increasing involvement in decision-making and encouraging voluntary activity produced

".... the council does have a role in encouraging local voluntary activity. An example of this is the mayor's reception for volunteers in February ..." from Cllr Leach. Cllr Leach continues " .... it should be noted that a low involvement in council's decision-making is not necessarily a bad sign ... it could be an indication of how satisfied our residents are with the way this council is currently being run by the Residents Association group ..."

This last quote from Cllr Leach's written answers may be less conclusive that the actions of one member of his RA group who resigned last week and another who is said to be on the point of resignation.

Two resignations from the RA group (becoming Independent) would leave a council make-up of

1 Labour

2 Independent

4 Conservative

10 Liberal Democrat

21 Residents' Party

A majority of only 4 would be the RA group's weakest position for 70 years and disastrous for them as they go into borough council elections in 2011.