Corrupt Council ?

lancsdave

lancsdave

Peel Monument
Overlooker
Just seen somebody driving round the town centre with a small billboard on the back of a trailer saying

Hyndburn Council
proved to be a
corrupt council

I might have got the middle line slightly wrong but had to remember it because I didn't have my phone on me to take a photo :)
 
saw it on way down to town parked further up st james st, middle line was proved by evidence, did ponder if the otherside had the evidence tho LOL!
 
Believe its the guy who stood as an independent against PB in May, and is standing as an independent in the Baxenden in he November election caused by the death of John Griffiths
 
I haven't heard much about the election - who's standing and when is the actual election date?
 
If only half of the criticism aimed at Hyndburn Council , and in particular at its leader Peter Britcliffe , is justified , the Labour opposition on the council must rank as amongst the most ineffective in the land .
 
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JCB said:
If only half of the criticism aimed at Hyndburn Council , and in particular at its leader Peter Britcliffe , is justified , the Labour opposition on the council must rank as amongst the most ineffective in the land .
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Could you please quantify the above statement as I don't think you understand how the local government process works.

In essence all important decision are made by the Cabinet - and the chair of the Cabinet is the Leader of the Council. At Cabinet meetings the chair chooses who of those present can speak - the present leader of Hyndburn Borough Council will only allow 1 opposition councillor to speak on any issue (and then it is usually only if he thinks they will agree with him). Although Cabinet decision can be called into Overview and Scrutiny to be discussed further, the controlling group have a majority on the 2 Overview and Scrutiny committees (as well as holding the positions of chair and vice chair) and so it is nye on impossible to have a decision reversed.

The only real forum any opposition group have to get things changed is at meetings of Full Council when they can table motions to be debated and also attempt to reverse any policies that are presented to the Full Council meeting that they regard as being detrimental to the citizens of Hyndburn. As the number of meetings of Full Council have been drastically reduced (and meetings have been cancelled at short notice as has been discussed in other threads) this avenue has in effect been closed to the opposition.

Presently many of the decisions are also being taken by Emergency Powers -which are then presented to Cabinet at the next meeting.

There is also a complete lack of information about the important decisions being disseminated to the Labour Group of Councillors until they have actually happened -in fact quite often the first we know about it is when we read an article in the Observer or Telegraph. We do work hard trying to get our policies accepted by the Council but without being in control it is extremely difficult as the Leader sets out to undermine any opposition. When we do get policies implemented they are being undermined by the Leader.

Maybe you would like to explain how you would be a more effective opposition to the current administration.
 
JCB said:
If only half of the criticism aimed at Hyndburn Council , and in particular at its leader Peter Britcliffe , is justified , the Labour opposition on the council must rank as amongst the most ineffective in the land .
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The wag reveals his true colours, and only two days after rounding on me for being political when I accused him of being a Tory sympathiser. When you find yourself in opposition against a dictator who won't allow full council meetings to vote on the seriously important issues in the borough it makes serious objections bloody hard.

I have no idea who you are but you're full of the same woolly arguments as many Tory supporters on this forum when it comes to rubbishing Labour.

Take a leaf out of Jaysay's book and try putting some facts into your replies for a change.
 
gynn said:
I suggested getting the External Auditors involved. Any mileage in that?
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As I've said before this would probably lead back to the Chief Executive, a man who is struggling to hold the machinery together whilst the children fight amonst themselves.

Since he is extremely good at his job I would be reluctant to go down any route that would jeopardise his position for the sake of bringing down the opposition a few months early.
 
The fact that there is to be a bye election in November adds weight to suspicions regarding the cancellation of the September Council meeting. If the meeting had gone ahead, the controlling group would not have had a majority, and there was some contentious business to be voted on at the meeting. (ie market leases.) In the absence of an agreement to reschedule the meeting for the following week, officers decided to delay all business to the December meeting. By then, the bye election will have taken place, and as by common consent it is a safe Conservative seat, the likelihood is that the majority will be restored.

Simple question to the External Auditors. Given the situation regarding the vacant seat and the nature of the business to be discussed, did the Council make sufficient effort to ensure due process in the timing of the Council meetings?

If their answer is yes, then there is no more to be said.
 
gynn said:
The fact that there is to be a bye election in November adds weight to suspicions regarding the cancellation of the September Council meeting. If the meeting had gone ahead, the controlling group would not have had a majority, and there was some contentious business to be voted on at the meeting. (ie market leases.) In the absence of an agreement to reschedule the meeting for the following week, officers decided to delay all business to the December meeting. By then, the bye election will have taken place, and as by common consent it is a safe Conservative seat, the likelihood is that the majority will be restored.

Simple question to the External Auditors. Given the situation regarding the vacant seat and the nature of the business to be discussed, did the Council make sufficient effort to ensure due process in the timing of the Council meetings?

If their answer is yes, then there is no more to be said.
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Makes sense to me gynn;)
 
claytonender said:
Could you please quantify the above statement as I don't think you understand how the local government process works.
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You are totally correct .

I had always thought it was a democratic process .
 
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Ken Moss said:
I have no idea who you are but you're full of the same woolly arguments as many Tory supporters on this forum when it comes to rubbishing Labour.
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:confused::confused::confused:

Please specify woolly arguments I have used .

Does criticising the Labour opposition on Hyndburn Council necessarily make me anti-Labour ?

You speak of Tory supporters . You know nothing of my voting record in national and local elections .

If you want some detail to back up my original quote I will give it in the form of this question . What did the Labour opposition do regarding the issue of the terrace on Pendle St , an issue you mentioned the other day ?
 
Ken Moss said:
As I've said before this would probably lead back to the Chief Executive, a man who is struggling to hold the machinery together whilst the children fight amonst themselves.
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Please name the children who are fighting amongst themselves .

It may clarify the point I am trying to make .

A few months ago a Labour councillor came to see me about a certain matter . He hadn't been in the house 10 minutes when a Conservative councillor came about the same matter . Then the silliness started . I might as well not have been in the room . I sat looking at them arguing about petty points and getting nowhere . It was an eye-opener .

As persons I respect both of them , and am sure they both do their best for those they represent . But as party political politicians they brought no credit to themselves .

And some people wonder why I think party politics should have no place in local government .
 
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JCB said:
Please name the children who are fighting amongst themselves .

It may clarify the point I am trying to make .

A few months ago a Labour councillor came to see me about a certain matter . He hadn't been in the house 10 minutes when a Conservative councillor came about the same matter . Then the silliness started . I might as well not have been in the room . I sat looking at them arguing about petty points and getting nowhere . It was an eye-opener .

As persons I respect both of them , and am sure they both do their best for those they represent . But as party political politicians they brought no credit to themselves .

And some people wonder why I think party politics should have no place in local government .
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Think you've hit the nail on the head JCB, why do you think I no longer give two hoots for local politics, and I was a person who was very much involved until 2001. Peter Britcliffe is a friend of mine, in fact he actually call into see me on Thursday, I wished him happy new year, for 2007 that is:D but when Graham was leader of the labour group, they were both as bad as each other, who could outdo the other, who could score the most points over the other, now it seams Ken Moss has taken on that mantle, which does him no favours what so ever. Having met Ken I actually think he's better than that, as I've said on here before he's the only Labour councillor that talks any sense, so it saddens me that he has taken this line, but people do there own thing and its up to him, but it does disappoint me nonetheless
 
claytonender said:
Could you please quantify the above statement as I don't think you understand how the local government process works.
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Thanks for putting me in the picture . It has been an eye-opener . Clearly opposition to the ruling group's decisions are difficult and maybe impossible , given what you have told me .

Based on your info I withdraw my criticism of the Labour opposition on the council .
I also apologise if my remarks have led to any being given a wrong impression of the Labour group .

Is the Cabinet statutory , or is it a system created by Hyndburn Council itself ? I have concerns about it within a democracy .

I also have concerns about the Full Council meetings , which I think should be monthly at least , about Emergency Powers , about the power of the Leader , and about the Overview and Scrutiny committees .

At the next round of local elections I think that the Labour candidates should stand on a platform for Council Reform .
The Labour councillors should commit themselves to a root and branch reform of the Council where it is possible within the law .

I am certain that most of the electorate in Hyndburn are , like I was , unaware of how Hyndburn Council is run . I suggest a process of educating the electorate be implemented by the Hyndburn Labour Party .

At present I don't know what changes can be made to make the council more democratic within the laws concerning Local Government .
 
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