Questions at Council Democracy Shutdown

[kevplumb]

we knew it was coming
question now is will they get away with it 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/173503152855994/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

[jeffh]

we knew it was coming
question now is will they get away with it 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/173503152855994/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

Who's getting away with what?

[akarjl]

Many of us don't "do" facial book care to elaborate?

[kevplumb]

apologies try this one
https://www.facebook.com/paulthompsonuk/

didn't want to copy and paste all of it on the forum 

[admin]

Independent Councillors in Hartlepool have today launched a scathing attack on Hartlepool's Labour-led Constitution Committee which is recommending sweeping changes in council procedures aimed at reducing transparency.
Cllrs Paul Thompson, James Black and David Riddle are calling on all councillors to reject the recommendations of the Constitution Committee which are due to be presented on Tuesday 23 May 2017 at a Special Council Meeting.

The councillors are particularly furious with the following proposals :

• The complete withdrawal of public questions at Full Council meetings
• The withdrawal of councillor questions without notice at Full Council meetings
• The change of Council meetings to take place during the day, when working councillors are not available.

Cllr Paul Thompson said "These changes, proposed by Labour Councillors, are a direct attack on democracy on this town. It should be remembered that it was public and councillor questions at Full Council meetings that publicly highlighted the disgraceful fraud of former Labour Cllr Angie Wilcox, the wasteful expenditure on Jackson's Landing, the failure of the council to intervene in the withdrawal of hospital services until it was too late and many more failings by this calamitous leadership.

Without these questions and the opportunity to pose more in the future, members of the general public, ie those who live in the real world outside of the Civic Chamber, would have no idea of the political ineptitude running this town and affecting our lives.
I am however not surprised that they are now proposing this. Since the change of governance arrangements in 2013, the current leadership has constantly eroded the democratic process in this town and actively sought to curtail the opportunity for the public to speak out, sweep political mistakes under the carpet and proven itself unable to articulately respond to residents' concerns.

The change in time of council meetings is a deliberate attempt to exclude working councillors from Full Council meetings. No great surprise really as it is the same working councillors who actively hold the failing administration to account and are erudite enough to hold debate. They are not simply nodding sheep."

Cllr James Black said "Questions from member of the public are absolutely vital, they show transparency within the chamber and allow the public to ask pertinent questions at a time they can attend meetings.
The constitutional working group disregards these points, the group want the public to turn up to separate meetings they can't attend (because of employment), to ask questions where the chair has no obligation to answer or even hear the question.
As public servants, we are supposed to make it easier for the public to challenge us, instead the group are working in the opposite direction. We need to allow the public to attend meetings and let the public speak."

Cllr David Riddle said "When I read this was being proposed I felt the need to look out of the window and check I hadn't woken up in North Korea
These changes demonstrate the inarticulate 'senior councillors' within the chamber and their inability for Chris Akers-Belcher and colleagues to be able to think on their feet."

The three councillors are also calling on the support of members of the public to attend the meeting on Tuesday 23 May from 7pm in the Civic Chamber, Victoria Road.

[kevplumb]

well that's me put in my place   

[fred c]

well that's me put in my place   

Interfering Busy Body....... 

[Foggy]

There is an interesting 'discussion' curgently going on on facebook between CAB and David Riddle. It started off about the 'Dictatorship' but more interesting topics have cropped up.

Highlights include CAB insisting that it was the council that alerted the police to the fraud at MRA and that SAB wasn't a trustee as 'he asked to be but they never completed the paperwork.' 

I'm guessing his head won't be above the parapet for long and he will crawl back under his rock.

[steveL]

Yes and I gather he's now denying that he ever said that the dodgy Manor Residents accounts were the result of an error by the Charity Commission

[crisstw]

Highlights include CAB insisting that it was the council that alerted the police to the fraud at MRA and that SAB wasn't a trustee as 'he asked to be but they never completed the paperwork.' 

Can someone screenshot that?

Last week, Labour councillor and town mayor Stephen Akers-Belcher resigned from the association's board over concerns about the "significant" lack of information and transparency around recent employment tribunal cases.

Read more at: http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/under-fire-manor-house-councillor-angie-wilcox-resigns-from-hartlepool-council-1-5835600

[jawsbbc]

 AND THESE ARE THE F****** RUNNING THIS TOWN
Typical polling station attire.
14 May at 20:45
Christopher Akers-Belcher
Christopher Akers-Belcher In my world it is lol 😂

[Inspector Knacker]

Our very own preening 'Dear Leaders' cannot adopt North Korean political etiquette to solve their own inability to debate or respond to public scrutiny. Therefore the politburo have left what amounts to silencing the public and have them sit as silent witness to their bungling attempts to display what passes for competence in their very own La la land.
It's beginning to resemble the Palace of Versailles shortly before the 'change of management'. And we all know how that ended.

[akarjl]

Pressure is obviously getting to him....bleary eyed.....double chin....unshaven......keep piling it on folks?

[fred c]

Sad to say, the current labour candidate appears to believe everything they say........there are literally umpteen examples of various labour councillors lying through their teeth (see example above) they are well documented, all Mike Hill has to do is disassociate himself from them and pledge to hold an inquiry into local labour.

Those actions would prompt myself and many more lapsed labour voters to support him on June 8th, sadly that isn't going to happen.

[jawsbbc]

anything against holding placards up at meetings??  if we cannot express our thoughts by mouth