Issue - meetings

A Question had been submitted under Procedure Rule No. 9 by Councillor Jessie Milne.

“If” we go over to a Leader and Cabinet, will the role of Chairman go unchanged and undiminished?  Will the Chairman still be regarded as the “First Citizen” of West Lindsey and will the Chairman still be a focus of Civic Pride?  Will the Chairman still wear the chain of office as a symbol of their status?  And will the Council still stand as a mark of respect for the office of Chairman?"

The Leader of the Council responded.

“Thank you for your question Cllr Milne. You will be aware that a review of the Council’s governance is underway and is being managed by the Governance and Audit Committee.  There is no intention to change the role or the standing of the council Chairman and all of the potential arrangements recognise this role.”

Having heard the response, Councillor Jessie Milne then asked the following supplementary question: -

“How do you explain the picture that appears in the current edition of the County News, with the Leader and the Chief Executive seated side by side and the First Citizen standing behind them, with the Chain of Office obscured by the Leaders head?  Isn’t this a clear demonstration of the path that this Council has taken, with the Leader and the Head of Paid Service working in partnership, with the symbol of local authority left in the background.  In recent Council meetings, it has become difficult to distinguish between the political announcements of the Leader, and the Political announcements made by the Head of Paid Service.  Could I ask for restoration of the democratic process in which the publicly elected members set the policies and monitor their implementation.  Could I ask for a restoration of the norm in which elected membership is held responsible to the public and officers are held responsible to the elected membership.  When I was first elected I was told that the public should see a clear distinction between the officers who are paid to deliver public services, and the councillors who are elected to represent the public interest.  Over the last six years I have seen a complete changeover of senior management and a steady erosion of the member / officer relationship, as a Ward Member I can tell you that we are described as an officer-led Council.  That is unfair to Ward Members and it is unfair to the locally recruited officers who have, and are, giving a lifetime of public service.  Chairman it is time for the Political Leadership of the Council to accept its responsibilities and it is time for the Professional Management Team to recognise those responsibilities. 

As our Chairman knows, the Royal British Legion has a motto it is “Service before Self”.

Yesterday was Remembrance Day, when we pay our respects to all the brave people who have given their lives for this Country, earlier on this year I was approached by Tony Worth, Her Majesty’s former  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64

There were no questions pursuant to Procedure Rule 9.