Letter to the Editor, Kent on Sunday
July 6, 2010 12:00 AM
Originally published by Liberal Democrats on Kent County Council
Originally published by Liberal Democrats on Kent County Council
Dear Sir,
District Cllr. Mike Eddy is right to call for more scrutiny of Government cuts and how they affect Kent ('Sudden silence is deafening', Letters page 26 & 27 June 2010) However he may not be aware that since the Labour Party were reduced to only two County Councillors, the Conservative administration has further restricted the rights of councillors to scrutinise issues.
The Cabinet Scrutiny Committee is the only committee chaired by the Opposition and is now only permitted to probe Cabinet reports or a decision made by a Cabinet Member. The power to investigate the hundreds of decisions made by officers has been removed from the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee to the newly formed Scrutiny Board which is chaired by a Conservative Member.
At the 1 April 2010 County Council meeting the Conservatives talked out the single agenda item which the Liberal Democrats are allowed (A motion for time limited debate) , which was to to ensure greater disclosure to the public of what their money is being spent on, by publishing all payments over £1,000.
Of course, Mr Eddy is conveniently forgetting that when he led the Opposition, he also did not have the power to scrutinise Government spending plans. Had he done so we would of course been able to question the mess that his Labour Government made of our economy, which has left others with painful decisions to make in order to clean it up.
Yours sincerely
Trudy Dean
KCC Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of Cabinet Scrutiny Committee
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