UKIP Councilor denonces "horse trading" for Council Seats

After May 2007 when Labour lost 3 seats Hartlepool Council has no overall control. However the Council Chairman and the Chairs of every committee (except one) have been taken by the Labour Group for the next 12 months. The Labour Group’s refusal to relinquish any of the Committee Chairs is “two fingers” to the voters who showed quite clearly they no longer want Labour to run their town.

[ClickPress, Mon May 28 2007] Having the cabinet system makes it difficult for ordinary Councillors to influence what goes on. The Mayor appoints the cabinet and this is where remains the tiny amount of local decision making that the Labour government has not regionalised or centralised under their own control.

According to UKIP Councillor, Stephen Allison, “The supposed check on the cabinet is the scrutiny process. Hartlepool Council has four scrutiny forums and Hartlepool has 48 elected Councillors. 24 Labour, 8 Admin, 7 Lib-Dems, 4 Tories, 4 Independents and myself from UKIP. So wouldn’t it be fair if two scrutiny forums have Labour Chairmen and the other two would be with the other groups?”

Following the Annual Council Meeting on Thursday ALL Four Forums have Labour Chairmen and so does the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee.

UKIP Councillor Stephen Allison denounced this situation. He said “This is patently unfair and undemocratic”

Hartlepool Council claims to be keen on consultation. One of the main ways of consulting is Neighbourhood Forums. ALL THREE of the Neighbourhood Forums have Labour Chairmen. The eight most important committees for scrutinising the actions of the Mayor and his cabinet and consulting with the people are ALL controlled by Labour despite their having only half the Councillors.

According to UKIP Councillor Stephen Allison “In my opinion this is a deliberate two fingers up from Labour to the voters of Hartlepool who showed in the May Elections that they no longer trusted Labour to run our town.”

Each Chair comes with an additional special responsibility allowance to be added to the basic allowance received by every Councillor.

UKIP Councillor Stephen Allison concluded “I hope the voters remember this two finger gesture in May 2008 when they will have a chance to throw out yet more Labour Councillors.”

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