Full Council Meeting Thursday, 23rd February

[admin]

The next full council meeting takes place on Thursday, 23rd February in the Civic Centre at 7pm

Agenda and Minutes:

https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/3551/council

[steveL]

Every now and then, you get a council meeting that manages to display all the characteristics of Hartlepool Borough Council that it has become famous for and last night's meeting proved to be one such case.

The main business of the night was for Labour to vote through their maximum council tax rise. There were a few predictable speeches from the usual suspects blaming the Tory Government for everything from funding cuts to the sneaky, behind-closed-doors reshaping of Toblerone but the full council tax rise of 4.9% was voted through on Labour votes with the help of a couple of UKIPPERS. Independents, Tories and the remaining UKIPPERS all voted for the 3% Social Care Precept but voted against the 1.9% council tax segment. The Tories wanted to see Mill House handed over to the private sector to save the running costs while Independents and half of the UKIPPERS wouldn't back an increase while wasteful spending continued.

One noticeable thing was that yet another re-arrangement of the seating had resulted in the bizarre sight of the Leader of the Labour Group and the Leader of the Tory Group both sitting next to each other. The resulting mix of body sprays must have reached dangerously high concentrations at some point and this might go some way towards explaining Rob Cook's erratic chairmanship.

Cook's gritted-teeth Chairmanship has been getting worse with each meeting but last night, Marj's constant heckling of instructions to Cook from the front row left the latter struggling to keep pace. For example, Tennant's right-of-reply to SAB's now traditional, incoherent poke at UKIP was stopped in its tracks by Cook; minutes later, CAB was freely allowed to respond to comments made by the Tories over Mill House.

Likewise, Stephen Thomas was allowed unfettered to reach the end of his lengthy, pre-prepared speech on social care while opposition councillors found themselves being asked to 'wind up' soon after getting started. A timing of Thomas' speech when the video comes out should prove interesting.

The night was rounded off by a spectacle that served to remind everyone watching just how morally bankrupt Labour have become.

A fairly innocuous proposal that the council should keep a log of all questions submitted by members of the public to the council and publish it on the council website together with any reasons for rejection was voted down by Labour and Tory Councillors.

Transparency is labour's Kryptonite.

Why this should be can perhaps be explained by the noticeable increase over the last few months in questions rejected.

[Foggy]

I noticed that the Labour mob didn't bother justifying their reasons for rejecting the proposal (as usual) and the Tories reason was weak... and that's putting it politely.

Highlight of the evening though... Paul Thompson telling them to 'grow a pair'    Interesting to see what happens now Cook has vowed to take the comment and his lack of apology further.

[Foggy]

Just to add (as I can seem to modify my post)

Regarding the member of the public's question about spending the adult social care money where it should be and not on vanity projects.  I thought CAB's 'yes' response was particularly disrespectful and typical of his arrogance.  How very dare a member of the public ask a legitimate question and expect a proper response.   

[fred c]

Typical of Cook, the man who was weaned on a Lemon, to try to make an example of Paul Thompson, but fully condones the behaviour of Handsome Ste Akers B & Bully Boy Craney, he & the rest of the coalition mob have lost all sense of moral perspective.

We have a CEO who espouses respectful behaviour, who is quick to call for sanctions against opposition councillors & members of the public for their behaviour, whilst accepting the disgraceful & vitriolic abuse from the ruling group as the norm, double standards in so many facets of public life by HBC.

[DRiddle]

Initially, in the first half an hour or so i though Rob Cook was doing okay. I've e-mailed him enough times basically saying "Stop being a tool and chair the meetings fairly" for him to know what i think overall.

The problem was of course, as the meeting progressed, like always, as the free thinking councilors started to make their voices heard, he started to lose his cool.

More specifically, he stopped focusing on the job in hand and started to take direction from mad dog Councillor James and the ruling cabal. For whatever reason, there are 4 or 5 borderline illiterates who seem to have the genuine, left wing, relatively intelligent, 'real' Labour councilors by the kahunas.

Quite why the likes of Thomas, Clarke and others allow this to continue is anyone's guess. I suppose it's a case of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'.

Bizarrely of all, Barclay appears to have been 'promoted' to some kind of 'attack dog' type role to support James.

All through the meeting last night he was chuntering away in his own idiosyncratic way.

If you've never had the 'privilege' of witnessing Barclay in full flow, just imagine a tramp with Tourettes, desperately trying to get a few more dregs out his last can of Special Brew, while muttering about the times his pals sunk the Belgrano.

If you can visualize that imagine, (then imagine said tramp squeezed into an ill fitting suit) you're not too far wide of the mark.

Other notable 'high/low points' actually came behind closed doors in the 'corridors of power' after the meeting. 'Opposition councilors' challenged some of the back bench/genuine Labour councilors as to why they voted down the motion to put questions from the public on the councils website. The silence was deafening, they had no reasons for why they voted that way.

Other than of course... that they were TOLD to do so.

I even had to listen to Cranney grunting "That lot don't even know what transparency means".

I know what it means Kevin.

For business owners (for example), part of transparency involves publishing  your accounts to HRMC.

Crazy times.

[mk1]

who seem to have the genuine, left wing, relatively intelligent, 'real' Labour councilors by the kahunas.

Quite why the likes of Thomas, Clarke and others allow this to continue is anyone's guess. I suppose it's a case of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'.

I have spoken to Alan and he appears to be a decent bloke but  I believe he also has decided his future lies in Politics and licking ar*ses is the only way to climb the greasy pole. I am afraid all his decisions are now made with one eye to advancement and whilst the liars and thieves hold sway then he will remain mute. The only hope is when he replaces CAB he proves  his servility was a means to an end.
Mind you I can't help smiling when I think back to his time here and  he kept asking us why we called the A-Bs 'scabs' as he had never known then to cross a picket line!

[steveL]

Just on the point of the proposal to publish a list of all public questions on-line, this is a clip from the current council constitution:



As you can see, all the proposal was suggesting was that this existing list was published online but the Labour/Tory coalition voted against it.

[Johnny Bongo]

So are all questions actually recorded?  If so, can a member of the public who is attending a council meeting, take a copy of the 'latest' questions that have been submitted to be asked (or denied) by either copier or by iPhone, etc?  Can the Council/ HBC/ LabTor mob, actually forbid anyone taking a photo/ copy of said questions? 

[fred c]

Just on the point of the proposal to publish a list of all public questions on-line, this is a clip from the current council constitution:



As you can see, all the proposal was suggesting was that this existing list was published online but the Labour/Tory coalition voted against it.

Maybe, all users of the Post should copy & paste the above paragraphs into an email to the CEO / Borough Solicitor & ask where the public can view the 'Book'.

[whatabouthisthen]

Ah, well!

RMW stated that he would vote against the motion because currently there was a constitution review (yet another one!) being carried out and that one of the subjects was public questions. I wonder what else is likely to be changed? More restrictions on the public and opposition Cllrs?

Who knows if public questions will even be allowed in the future?

This Council is becoming more and more left wing and seems to be run by Labour Cllrs more akin to communist ones.

[fred c]

This Council is becoming more and more left wing and seems to be run by Labour Cllrs more akin to communist ones.

I don't know about this council being more left wing, I would compare it to becoming more like a third world dictatorship, Nigeria immediately springs to mind, the favoured few filling their own coffers by manipulating the democratic processes to suit their own ends, unexplained & unexplainable decisions, constitutional changes, lack of openness, transparency & most damming of all 'Accountability'.

Only in Hartlepool & Only Under The LabTor Mob.

[steveL]

Ah, well!

RMW stated that he would vote against the motion because currently there was a constitution review (yet another one!) being carried out and that one of the subjects was public questions. I wonder what else is likely to be changed? More restrictions on the public and opposition Cllrs?

Who knows if public questions will even be allowed in the future?

This Council is becoming more and more left wing and seems to be run by Labour Cllrs more akin to communist ones.

Labour's problem is that it can't stop spending money. The sale of assets, rises in council tax and constant 'prudential borrowing' are all aimed at preventing any restriction on their profligate spending habits. Just watch what happens when any under spend is identified - rather than put it to one side to ease the general financial situation they are in there like a shot with ideas on how to spend it.

[kevplumb]

Labour's problem is that it can't stop spending money.

close steve other peoples money would be closer

i bet there would be a quick policy change if for example they personally had to fund a percentage of the losses on their hare brained schemes 

[mk1]

Labour's problem is that it can't stop spending money.

The entire council strategy is to generate as much 'churning' as possible. They apply for every grant going and the reason is not to improve anything. The one and only reason is to get the money 'moving' around the town. On its way it creates jobs and puts money into the shops. They believe that if they get £10  million and only keep £1 million for themselves the activity of the other £9 million sloshing about will get them enough votes so as to lay their hands on the next £1 million.
The Council will quite happily apply for a grant to line York Road with trees in 2018 and have absolutely no shame for applying in 2019 for a grant to clear York Road and remove all kerbside  obstructions. The look of Your Road means nothing it is the grant money drawn in that is everything. That is why the Tesco roundabout keeps getting  changed. Nothing to do with safety and all about creating work.