National Tory Peers slam Northumberland Conservatives for "Political Negativity" & &qu
Conservative Peers from elsewhere in the Country wrote the following about fellow Northumberland Conservative Members in a recent review: “Political negativity from some elected members is not providing a sufficiently grown up atmosphere conducive to trust and neither is it in the best interests of local residents. “Some members openly declare that they have no interest in ‘the council’ although they are members of the council... “The behaviours of some members need to improve, and a disproportionate amount of time seems to be spent in attacking the council, resulting in officers then having to deal with the fall-out, rather than developing or influencing policies for the greater good. “Opportunities to build relationships and build trust need to be explored, so that members and officers can focus on the big issues ahead, rather than being distracted by negativity, which is draining for everyone.” The peer challenge recommends the authority “work harder to help all elected members to understand their roles in representing the council and being more statesman-like, irrespective of seniority or political persuasion.”
They concluded: “There are concerns that not all elected members from all political groups appear to put the best interests of Northumberland residents first, either in their interactions with other elected members, or how they engage with the council more broadly. “Put bluntly, there are some undesirable member behaviours which are detrimental to the council operating effectively, having a negative effect on its external reputation and internal functioning"
Scott said:
"It's all a bit embarrassing not only for local Conservatives but also the Council and Northumberland. I hope such frank comments from senior people of their own political persuasion change the behaviours they are presenting. However to date we have seen no change".
Aside from the Peers concerns around the Tory Councillors the positive findings of the report were: The Local Government Association (LGA) carried out a Peer Challenge of the County Council's corporate management arrangements in November 2014. Feedback was very positive and highlights included commentary on the Council's: Strong and decisive political leadership Effective and empowering senior management Positive relationships with partners, particularly Town and Parish Councils and Health Strong financial position Integation of social care with health Use of ARCH as its economic delivery arm What shone out from the LGA’s feedback, though, was the passion and pride in Northumberland that they found with Members, staff and partners and an energy and enthusiasm to deliver for the people of Northumberland. In their words, they found not only a ‘can do’ culture but a ‘want to do’ culture.
