Tag: Conservative

Despite Tory objections, Labour adjourn meeting to revisit 2 matters (leisure centre concessions and Forest Schools)

Despite Tory objections, Labour adjourn meeting to revisit 2 matters (leisure centre concessions and Forest Schools)

Despite Tory objections, Labour adjourn meeting to revisit 2 matters (leisure centre concessions and Forest Schools)

                                    

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Video of the entire Coordinating Committee meeting of the 7th August 2014 can be viewed above

Yesterday Wirral Council’s Coordinating Committee met to consider two call-ins of Cabinet decisions. In a short ten minute meeting, Councillor Moira McLaughlin (the Chair) explained that the meeting had been called to consider call-ins about the cancellation of the “Forest Schools” funding and changes to the concessions that current and former Armed Forces personnel receive at the Council’s leisure centres.

It was agreed that despite the Chair’s initial view that both call ins should be considered in the same evening that they will be heard over two different evenings instead. Due to a constitutional requirement, the Coordinating Committee had to meet to consider these decisions within 15 days, however was unable to proceed any further as officers were not available (presumably as they are on holiday).

Therefore (as previously reported on this blog even before the decision was formally made) the call-in about Forest Schools will be heard starting at 6pm on the 18th September 2014 and the call-in about leisure centres will be heard starting at 6pm on the 23rd September 2014.

Councillor Chris Blakeley (Conservative spokesperson) suggested a different date as he was not happy with the choice of date for one of the reconvened meetings. However Labour councillors used their majority on the committee to vote through their preferred choice of date. The Chair Cllr Moira McLaughlin gave a detailed explanation as to why the dates had been chosen and why she disagreed with Councillor Chris Blakeley’s motion that a different date should be used.

Due to the call-ins the Cabinet decisions will not be implemented until a decision has been reached by the Coordinating Committee. Therefore the existing concessions at the Council’s leisure centres for current and former Armed Forces personnel will continue and so will the funding for the Forest Schools program in order to not prejudge the outcome of the Coordinating Committee decisions in September.

Similar reasons to do with availability and holidays were given behind the recent adjournment of the Audit and Risk Management Committee’s BIG/ISUS investigations.

Councillor Chris Blakeley (Conservative spokesperson) did raise the point that the meeting was being adjourned to suit Wirral Council officers, therefore why couldn’t it be rearranged to suit councillors (referring to three Conservative councillors)? However the Labour councillors on the Coordinating Committee disagreed with this approach.

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How did 62 Wirral Council councillors vote on Lyndale School?

How did 62 Wirral Council councillors vote on Lyndale School?

How did 62 Wirral Council councillors vote on Lyndale School?

                                      

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This continues from yesterday’s Councillors ask Labour to keep Lyndale School open; Labour defers decision on Lyndale to September Cabinet meeting.

Councillor Jeff Green said that the children attending Lyndale School had complex and profound medical conditions with a significant number being life limiting. In his opinion they had a moral obligation to meet the wishes of the parents to continue their child’s education at Lyndale. He said that the direct schools grant was ring-fenced for education so no savings would be made by closing Lyndale.

He continued by referring to the over ten thousand people that had signed a petition against closure. If Lyndale closed, the children would transfer to other schools which catered for children with very different needs. Cllr Green referred to the review of primary places and the reasons given by officers for closing Kingsway Primary School in Seacombe. The Conservative councillors had voted to keep it open and it had thrived since receiving an outstanding OFSTED inspection. He asked the [Labour] administration to have a change of heart and keep the school open as it was a facility doing an “outstanding job”.

The Mayor (Cllr Steve Foulkes) said it had been remiss of his not to congratulate Cllr Pat Cleary on his maiden speech. He asked Cllr Hayes to give his right to reply.

Cllr Hayes also took the opportunity to congratulate Cllr Cleary on his maiden speech and referred to what Cllr Cleary had said earlier about a previous consultation where the Leader of the Council had expedited a proposal based on an early evaluation of consultation responses. He asked why is it they have to wait till 4th September when the consultation ended on the 25th June? In debating the notice of motion Council was taking a view and making a recommendation which it had done many times on different issues.

He referred to the consultation process and the glowing terms and how it was held out as an example of good practice by both Cllr Phil Davies and Cllr Tony Smith. However questions put by parents to Wirral Council had been answered on the final day of the consultation, so where was the “equality of arms”. He said it was time to end the “misery and pain” and time that the Cabinet made a resolution that Lyndale was to remain open.

A card vote was called for. The first vote was on Labour’s amendment (to defer any decision on the future of Lyndale School to a special meeting of Cabinet in September).

Cllr Ron Abbey (Labour) FOR
Cllr Tom Anderson (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Bruce Berry (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Chris Blakeley (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Eddie Boult (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Alan Brighouse (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Philip Brightmore (Labour) FOR
Cllr Chris Carubia (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Pat Cleary (Green) AGAINST
Cllr Jim Crabtree (Labour) FOR
Cllr Matt Daniel (Labour) FOR
Cllr George Davies (Labour) FOR
Cllr Phil Davies (Labour) FOR
Cllr Bill Davies (Labour) FOR
Cllr Paul Doughty (Labour) FOR
Cllr David Elderton (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Gerry Ellis (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Labour) ABSTAIN
Cllr Phil Gilchrist (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Jeff Green (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Robert Gregson (Labour) FOR
Cllr Pat Hackett (Labour) FOR
Cllr Paul Hayes (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Andrew Hodson (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Kathy Hodson (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Mike Hornby (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Treena Johnson (Labour) FOR
Cllr Adrian Jones (Labour) FOR
Cllr Chris Jones (Labour) FOR
Cllr Stuart Kelly (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Anita Leech (Labour) FOR
Cllr Ann McLachlan (Labour) FOR
Cllr Moira McLaughlin (Labour) FOR
Cllr Dave Mitchell (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Bernie Mooney (Labour) FOR
Cllr Christina Muspratt (Labour) FOR
Cllr Steve Niblock (Labour) FOR
Cllr Tony Norbury (Labour) FOR
Cllr Matthew Patrick (Labour) FOR
Cllr Denise Realey (Labour) FOR
Cllr Louise Reecejones (Labour) FOR
Cllr Lesley Rennie (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Les Rowlands (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr John Salter (Labour) FOR
Cllr Harry Smith (Labour) FOR
Cllr Tony Smith (Labour) FOR
Cllr Tracey Smith (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Walter Smith (Labour) FOR
Cllr Chris Spriggs (Labour) FOR
Cllr Jean Stapleton (Labour) FOR
Cllr Mike Sullivan (Labour) FOR
Cllr Adam Sykes (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Joe Walsh (Labour) FOR
Cllr Geoffrey Watt (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Stuart Whittingham (Labour) FOR
Cllr Irene Williams (Labour) FOR
Cllr Jerry Williams (Labour) FOR
Cllr Pat Williams (Liberal Democrat) AGAINST
Cllr Steve Williams (Conservative) AGAINST
Cllr Janette Williamson (Labour) FOR

The vote was announced as 35 in favour, 26 against with one abstention. There was then a card vote on the motion (as amended by Labour’s amendment).

So the decision made was to defer a decision on Lyndale School to a special meeting of the Cabinet on September 4th.

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Overall election results for Wirral Council elections (2014): Labour majority

Overall election results for Wirral Council elections (2014): Labour majority

Overall election results for Wirral Council elections (2014): Labour majority

                        

My polling card for the 2014 election (Bidston & St. James ward)
My polling card for the 2014 election to Wirral Council (Bidston & St. James ward)

Last month (because of the local and European elections on the same day) this blog received its highest number of monthly visitors (3,918 visitors viewing 7,597 pages) and highest daily visitors (23rd May with 694 visitors and 1,111 page views) since the blog started. The jump in visitors on 23rd May was people interested in what the results were in the local Wirral Council elections.

Although I’ve published results on a ward by ward basis, I haven’t yet published the overall result. These results differ (slightly) from the results on Wirral Council’s website. I will explain why below.

In Greasby, Frankby & Irby ward there was an election for two councillors as the former Conservative Councillor Tony Cox had resigned. The reason for his resignation is that he’d been selected as the Conservative’s candidate in the General Election for Newcastle-under-Lyme and felt that he couldn’t do this to the best of his ability and be a local councillor for Greasby, Frankby & Irby ward. Despite this seat technically being a vacancy Wirral Council include this vacancy in the numbers of Conservative councillors before the election. I’m classing it as a vacancy in the results below.

The other difference is in how you regard Liscard ward. Darren Dodd resigned as a councillor in Liscard in November of last year. Nobody requested a by-election in Liscard, so there was just an election at the end of what would have been the end of his term of office in May 2014. As there has been a vacancy for six months in Liscard before the election I’m surprised that Wirral Council don’t list it as a vacancy in the results. This also means their figure in their election results table for how many Labour councillors there were before the election started is one higher than it was.

Election Results for 2014
Overall: Labour Majority (34 seats are needed for a majority and Labour have 38)

Party (or Independent) Total Votes Council Seats Before Stood Gain Lost Overall Change Council Seats After
Labour 33,983 36 23 3 1 2 38
Conservative 25,792 21 23 1 1 0 21
Liberal Democrat 7,477 6 18 0 0 0 6
Green Party 6,835 0 22 1 0 1 1
Independent 239 1 3 0 1 -1 0
UK Independence 14,793 0 22 0 0 0 0
Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts 91 0 2 0 0 0 0
Vacancy N/A 2 N/A 0 2 -2 0

Wirral Council (15th July 2013): Whistleblower Motion (Chief Executive’s statement)

The Chief Executives statement on the whistleblowing motion of the Conservatives (Wirral Council) from 15th July 2013

In what was a stormy evening at Wirral Council and Cllr Mitchell’s first full length Council meeting in the Chair as Mayor, the Chief Executive Graham Burgess issued a written statement to councillors and the public about the Conservative’s notice of motion on whistleblowing. His statement is reproduced below.

Statement from the Chief Executive

I would like to firstly advise a note of caution to all Elected Members when it comes to discussing individual cases. The Council in this instance has been requested to deal directly with Mr. Morton’s solicitor to seek a resolution to the outstanding issues. We are keen to reach a resolution at the earliest opportunity and have corresponded with Mr. Morton’s Solicitor to that effect.

I must also draw Council’s attention to the recent judgement by Mr. Justice Hughes in the first-tier tribunal between the Apellant [sic] and the Information Commissioner. Judge Hughes upheld the Information Commissioners decision to uphold this Council’s refusal of personal information relating to the Officers alluded to in this question. This followed his appraisal of the AKA report and all relevant information provided.

In particular it is important that Members note the following conclusions:

The information which the complainant has asked for is detailed information on personnel matters relating to the individuals concerned. This goes much further than a request to detail of any severance payments made to the individuals. It is also about the terms under which they left the authority. The public interest in knowing whether appropriate policies and procedures were followed or whether the council acted inappropriately in terms of the events outlined in the report has been served by the disclosure of the report.

The individuals identified with in the report had not been convicted of any crime. Public accountability for failing is within the Council’s practices and rests with the Council as a whole rather than with individual officers.

He concluded by finding that while there was a legitimate public interest in understanding how the Council had reacted to the report; this information would not help with that process and a balance had to be struck with respect to the rights of the individuals concerned. He found that:-

Any pressing social need for greater transparency on the Council’s reaction to the report would not be met by a disclosure of this information. He therefore considers that it would be unfair (and given the implied confidentiality of the employer/employee information, unlawful ) for the purposes of the first data protection principle for that information to be disclosed. 

In the light of the above judgement we do not consider that it would be lawful or practical to allow a further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the departure of the two Officers in question.

Sustainable Communities (Wirral Council) 4th December 2012 Dog Kennel Outsourcing Option

Sustainable Communities (Wirral Council)

The below is what happened at a recent meeting of Wirral Council’s Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the end of a discussion about their response to the consultation on the budget option on the closure of Birkenhead dog kennel. The main concern was that if implemented the budget option would result in owners of dogs having to go to Halton to collect their pets. There’s an online petition against closure that has attracted over five hundred signatures.

Cllr David Elderton (Chair): Well as I’ve said before, I’m not prepared to continue with this tonight if we’re not allowed, yes, well that’s the point, no point in us giving our input unless it’s noted and I’m asked for it to be noted. I think that’s sensible, we’re all here to make our contribution to what’s going on. So are we happy with that and take a vote on that nominal contribution? All those in favour?
Cllr Jerry Williams: No, no, no!
Cllr David Elderton (Chair): OK, well this meeting is likely to be a waste of time if you can’t make some notes based on what we believe is contributing to a successful conclusion for all concerned. I’m disappointed but I’m not prepared to make an issue out of it. Can we, any more comments on dog kennels as such? I’ve made my own notes on that and I shall be reporting them to the right places. What’s the next one?
Answer: The next one is page 57.
Cllr Leah Fraser: Excuse me, sorry but as Dave [Mitchell] said there’s a whip going on, that’s supposed to be declared before the meeting.
Cllr David Elderton (Chair): Yes it should!
Cllr Leah Fraser: Well they’ve just been told to change their minds!
Cllr David Elderton (Chair): Well that’s a whip, so anyway…
Cllr Jerry Williams said it was purely up to [Labour] councillors how they deal with decisions.
Cllr David Elderton (Chair): Right, well if that’s the case I’m going to, I’m not wasting a lot of time on this, it’s a long night, I’m going to wind the tape back and I’m going to say I specifically propose as Chairman that this Committee that it should have some comment in the minutes saying the logistics of the issue should be taken into account during the consultation process. Do I have a seconder for that?
Cllr Steve Williams seconds.
Cllr David Elderton (Chair): Right, which means that the comment that I am about to formulate, including this certain term, dealing with all party on both sides’ interest in this, that we should ask to be investigated. Can I have a vote on that, without a party whip?
For: 4 (Conservative plus Lib Dem)
Against: 2 (Two Labour, the rest abstained)