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Egged on by
the New Labour Government, which appears to require change for
change’s sake, Redcar and Cleveland Council has recently adopted
an untried and untested new constitution.
In future, decision-making will be in the hands of a one-party New
Labour Cabinet of ten councillors; a way of doing things we have
opposed all along since, in our view, it is far less democratic than
the former committee system which spread responsibility and has served
this country well for over a century.
However, all is not lost. We shall continue to protect and promote your
interests through the new Advisory Panels and Scrutiny Committee, which
have been set up. Each cabinet member is supposed to consult with
his/her Advisory Panel, whilst the Scrutiny Committee will question the
Cabinet’s decisions and review policy. Planning and Licensing,
the quasi-judicial functions of the Council, will be dealt with as they
were before the changes.
The full Council will still set the budget and, in the last resort, can
sack the Cabinet. But with a New Labour majority on the Council as a
whole, the latter can more easily be said than done.
There are some difficult, but challenging times ahead!
PS As always, we are ready to take up your complaints, problems,
queries and any suggestions you may have about Skinningrove. Just ring
660601 ( Steve Kay ) or 650965 ( Bruce Mackenzie ).
Tees
Valley Communities Online
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