Heated row over change to Nuneaton and Bedworth council meetings ends in cry of 'disgusting'

[dutchman]

Labour councillors said it was aimed at helping female councillors but opposition said it was a ploy to stifle local democracy



A heated row over a proposed change to Nuneaton and Bedworth council meetings ended in a cry of 'disgusting'. Councillors were asked to rubberstamp a change to how full council meetings are staged.

It had been recommended by an overview and scrutiny panel to move questions asked to cabinet members from councillors from the start of full council meetings to the end. It would allow for 45 minutes of questions.

But, with meetings only scheduled until 9pm, it would require standing orders to be lifted if a meeting looked set to run over that time. However there are concerns standing orders would not be lifted, cutting the questions session short.

Conservative group leader, councillor Kris Wilson, described the move as 'undemocratic'. He said: "What happens if members want to ask questions that last longer than 45 minutes?

"Unfortunately from my experience of this, almost exactly the same change was moved just a number of years ago," Cllr Wilson said. "Unfortunately there were occasions when members' questions were timed out and all we got was a written reply.

"At the end of the day, we are elected members and I have just as much right to raise a question and am entitled to represent residents. Why should we allow an arbitrary time limit of 45 minutes to deny me the right to raise something of importance to my residents or the borough - I don't think that's right."

His comments were echoed by Green Party group leader, councillor Michele Kondakor who too feared having questions 'timed-out'.

"I will also also be voting against it - this is very bad for democracy," Cllr Kondakor said, adding: "We have questions from members of the public, and it naturally should follow that you have members' questions."

She questioned if members of the public, who can attend council meetings, would stay to the end of the meeting to hear what questions councillors are going to ask.

"If it (councillors questions) is as the end of the meeting, chances are they (members of the public) won't have sat through the whole lot. So I think it is undemocratic to move them (councillors questions).

"There is the risk of it being timed-out."

Cllr Caroline Phillips explained the reason she proposed the change is to improve the safety of female councillors. In the past, some full council meetings have gone on way past 9pm, some at 11pm and a budget setting at midnight.

"I brought this forward as a safeguarding issue for female councillors, a few years back, the meetings went on, some of them til 11pm at night, one of our female councillors was followed home by someone in the public gallery, she was on her own her husband wasn't at home and she was on her own," Cllr Phillips explained.

"Quelle surprise she packed it in. This amendment enables women to be able to participate in democracy. I hear a lot of men wanting to take part in democracy - where are women's voices?"

She added: "The business of the council should be the priority of the meeting, not the questions. I am moving this for all of the female councillors who have been here and left because they don't feel safe, so on behalf of women I am moving this."

Cllr Christian Smith dubbed the members' questions a 'bit of theatre' and questioned why there would be opposition to the amendment. However, Cllr Mike Wright explained that, under the existing rules, that there is already an option to move any important or urgent council business on the agenda to before questions from councillors.

Cllr Jack Bonner, who proposed the change, said:" Long story short, she (Cllr Phillips) made a very passionate case to me, ultimately I know there are 38 councillors and ten of which are women.

"It it not cynical, we did not bring this forward with cynical intentions, it was about hearing voices for women."

A vote was taken on the amendment and it was lost, with Cllr Phillips shouting 'disgusting' when the defeat was announced.