Political Posturing

Council meetings in RCT get more farcical all the time – no wonder the Labour lot don’t want them being recorded.  Tonight really was a classic – around three and a half hours of mud slinging and bull***t from the people who run the second largest Council in Wales.

The first item was supposed to be an improvement assessment   report from the Audit office - except the person presenting the report got lost and was late arriving.  So the Mayor decided after only a minor fluster to move on to the next report – the Leader’s annual report.

The Labour group set the tone by voting to limit the debate to 30 minutes – good open, accountable government that, allow everyone a chance to have their say.  Mike Powell protested at this curtailing of Members right to question the leader only to be told he was wasting the Council’s time.  He subsequently did not get called to speak on the subject.

The Labour lot spent the entire meeting accusing everyone else of being ‘political’ – although it was fine for Russell to begin with yet another of his extremely tiresome digs at the Westminster Government.  Apparently we should get down on our knew and thank Carwyn and co for protecting our Councils from the ravages seen “the other side of Offa’s Dyke” thanks to the Lib Dems mostly it seems.

The Police force is also being ripped apart because of us, with huge cutbacks having to be made across RCT.  They can barely afford to pay Russell’s allowance as Chair of the Police Authority by the sound of it. Maybe he could take a pay cut.

Plaid had put a motion forward criticising the vagueness of responses to Members questions from the Leader and Cabinet. 

According to the Labour Whip, Cllr Webber “questions are being hijacked in the same way motions were previously.  Some Members just want to be seen as jumping into action because there is an election coming up.”

If the cap fits Maureen.

Meanwhile Deputy Leader Anthony Christopher, who sounded more like Mr Angry as the meeting progressed, raged   “It is my belief many of the questions are political, if members want to know anything they can ask officers and not waste council time.”

Great idea – Members led Authority, so let’s ask Officers questions, perhaps they can explain what it is Cabinet Members do to earn their salaries because from where we are sitting it seems they are not doing a lot.