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Concerns over “muzzling” of Opposition Councillors and rules chucked out the window


At Full Council on the 1st of November 2017 Northumberland Conservatives and the Independent friends they've recruited voted to halt democracy in its tracks and restrict the ability of Opposition Councillors to ask questions of the ruling party.

The aim is to restrict members to 20 minutes of questions (if it runs over you’ll get a written response) and limit members to only 2 questions per person. This is with the backdrop of reducing Full Council Meetings and reducing Scrutiny Meetings which are the only opportunities that exist for ALL Councillors to ask questions.

The previous Administration had a mixed Cabinet which included the Leaders from ALL political groups. This isn’t now the case, it is a Tory only Cabinet and therefore the ability to scrutinise, ask questions and challenge has never been so important. The secrecy and single party changes have locked openness and transparency out of Northumberland County Council.

It is my belief that members, elected by the people regardless of Party have the right to ask questions of the Administration.

Since the formation of the Unitary Authority there has been a Libdem Administration and a Labour one, neither have attempted to restrict members from carrying out duties as elected representatives of the communities they serve.

In fact all administrations have put up with repetitive Questions from Leading Tories, Grandstanding by Leading Tories and general misleading by Leading Tories over the years because as an elected member they had the right to ask questions however bizarre they were.

So after trying to cut off democracy and winning the vote the meeting took a turn for the worst, rules thrown out the window and behaviour experienced that in my view is completely unacceptable and definitely not something I would have tolerated during my time as Chair in the Chamber.

Tory Councillors allowed to give big intros to questions, yet others were shouted at and heckled, verbally abused and generally intimidated and bullied whenever they tried to speak. I found it most concerning.

Female members of the Council talked over the top of and silly childish smirking and laughing was experienced when none Tory members spoke.

Clearly it would seem the fact the Conservatives won the Council by fluke for the first time in 50yrs the power has gone to there heads. The arrogance and behaviours experienced clearly upset members of the public who came to tell me they were complaining at the end, they also felt the need to thank me for sticking up for one female Councillor who was being continually bullied and intimidated during the entire meeting. She was being mocked and appallingly treated in my view.

Now as a previous Chamber Chair I have smashed the gavel down on Labour members, Liberal Democrat and Tory members to ensure order is kept and that ALL members are heard whether I disagreed with them or not. As Chair your role is to ensure ALL members get the opportunity to speak in a controlled and fair environment abiding by the rules. It can get excited at times and that’s to be expected as everyone is passionate about what they are saying, but it needs to be in a controlled and fair environment.

Full Council had only been in full swing for an hour and 50 minutes when the chair just decided he would break for comfort. Constitution of the Council states that after 3hrs the meeting can be asked to take a break but members must approve the pause. It would seem now that we just pause whenever they fancy or if it's getting a little hot under the collar.

I just thought yesterday was a crying shame for Democracy in terms of trying to stop Opposition Members from asking questions and I thought it was a terrible display, if there ever was one on how NOT to allow a meeting to be conducted.


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