A LibDem Perspective - Disenfranchised!

East Sussex Conservatives are clearly running scared of the County Council elections due in May. They have already lost their majority and are being propped up by Independents. Many commentators expected to see them kicked out in May and for a LibDem led alliance to take charge and sort out the financial mess the Conservatives will leave behind.

It’s no surprise then to see them (along with a dozen other Conservative led County Councils) grasp the lifeline thrown to them by the local government reorganisation being rushed through by the Labour Government. 

Many of us would agree that local government needs reorganising and streamlining.  District and Borough Councils were always likely to be the layer that disappeared, with the establishment of new Unitary Authorities largely based on existing County Council structures absorbing their responsibilities. It should enable substantial cost savings, especially by rationalising senior roles, leaving more money for essential services. 

What is completely unacceptable is that the Conservative administration has asked for the May elections to be postponed, possibly for two or more years, while the reorganisation is pushed through. Worse, the decision to request the delay is entirely in the hands of the Conservative Council Leader. So, not only will it deny residents the opportunity to vote out the existing failing administration, it will leave Councillors in place even though their four year term has ended. It also means that the existing failed administration would play the major role in shaping its Unitary Authority successor.

A major part of the administration’s rationale for postponement appears to be that council officers could not possibly be expected to cope with an election as well as all the reorganisation- but the election would be over within the first three months of a two-to-three year process, and anyway is administered by District Councils, not County.

I am sure that personal financial issues will not have influenced decisions but it is a matter of record that the Council Leader receives additional allowances in excess of £41,000 and his Cabinet members receive over £18,000, as well as the basic Councillor allowance of £14,714. These allowances will all presumably remain in place even though their elected term of four years will have ended. Councillors are not usually permitted to vote on issues where they have a direct financial interest so I am sure we can rely upon them to set aside any personal considerations. But the fact is that our mandate was for four years, not five six or seven.

The need to streamline local government is clear. However the Labour Government’s decision to rush this through without any debate is wrong. Ironically it is likely to result in numerous Conservative Councillors and Councils remaining in power when they would otherwise have been removed. Leaving it to County Council Leaders alone to decide the way forward is the ultimate example of inviting turkeys to vote on postponing Christmas. 

Cllr Kathryn Field