When I started as a Cheshire East Councillor nearly a year ago, one of the things that struck me was how much a certain select group of existing Councillors bleated on about culture, secrecy, too many Councillors cosying up to officers, etc.
It didn't really strike a chord with me. I didn't believe that this could be the case. These were strong, political people who should easily be able to overcome obstacles such as these.
What's become clear over the last couple of months, as I've really started to stretch my limbs, is that it is the case. And more specifically, some Councillors would like it to stay that way. It's not that they have bad intentions - no Councillor I have met does - it's just that I think they find it reassuring and comfortable. I don't believe they realise how much it damages the model of democracy and the reputation of Councillors all over the land.
If you're one of my fellow Councillors and you're reading this, then consider how you feel about that paragraph. If it gets your blood up then you might be one of those I'm talking about - and is that who you set out to be?
This isn't to say that as Councillors we need to rebel and fight viciously against the ever engorging, collectivist machine that any public sector body is. It just means that we have to question and query in an open, honest, fair and most importantly friendly way. Officers might not like that, but they shouldn't take offense. It's what 1,457 people elected me to do and they would feel very let down if I didn't do it.
I've been trying to get hold of a copy of the agreement between WB and MBC. Whilst I have been offered this privately and off the record by several people, I would like to be released under the Freedom of Information act* (or the nearly equivalent EIR), but this has been strongly blocked by MBC. I have taken independent legal advice from a professional and the Information Commissioners office and have been told that the response from MBC is incorrect. I have fed back this information to the Council with another request for the document to be released.
That was a week ago. I have yet to receive a response.
The principle is this. The FOI/EIR is designed to give the public information about anything they want, unless there is a really good reason not to (usually privacy or security concerns of some sort). It is not designed to give the council power to release only what it feels like. The intention is not that the Officers of a Council should be able to decide what they think the Councillors and the public need to see.
Now that I've started to challenge the current consensus with the WB/MBC example, I've been contacted by several Councillors telling me that "I've gone too far this time" and I shouldn't "Rock the boat".
What have I done that's so wrong? I used the legislation for the purpose that it was intended, to get an agreement that constituents have asked me to see. I've done it in a polite and friendly way. Who is it, hidden away it the creaking machine at Town Hall, that has decided that local rules and Macclesfield culture is more important than legislation passed to ensure everything was fair?
Lets get to the point. I hope this will change in Cheshire East. We have new officers, we have new councillors, we have new aspirations. In fact, in an email received this morning from our Chief Executive, Erika, I read:
"We’ve got a fresh, clean page in front of us on which we can map out our future - new ways of working, new ways of involving local people in their own destinies and innovative ideas for meeting the economic and other challenges of these shifting times."I hope that's sincere.
I'm delighted to be serving as your "proper" Councillor from today. All I can promise is that I'll do my best.
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p.s. Couldn't help myself after that headline:
* Once it's released under the FOI I'm free to discuss it here and follow up on queries that I have.
1 comment:
I don't think MBC has done anything dodgy on this deal that it is trying to conceal but the way they are refusing to let the public, the owners, and people who pay for the upkeep of the land that they have given away, look at the tenders and agreement makes it look like the deal reeks to high heaven.
My own assumption is that the MBC staff simply do not understand the legislation and are cowering away from Wilson & Bowden like a bunch of whipped children. This in itself does not bode well for a good deal to have been done.
I am considering launching a tirade at the reps for Macc forest to get off their behinds and request this also.
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