A North Tyneside Tory councillor claimed during the annual council meeting that the council was “akin to a one party state”.
Preston councillor Liam Bones, a Conservative, proposed an amendment to the council’s annual appointments which would make committee chairmanships proportional to the number of seats each party hold.
Coun Bones, addressing the council said: “This amendment represents a fundamental part of our democracy. We believe that political balance is important and checks and balances are paramount for proper representation of our residents.
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“Committee members are proportional to the number of seats a party holds, committee chairmanships however have been preserved by the ruling labour group.
“Each year we are presented with a list of abiding Labour councillors who will scrutinise their party’s administration. Where else would it be acceptable to mark your own homework?
“In Northumberland the chairmanships are proportional, in Newcastle the opposition chair all the scrutiny committees. Yet in North Tyneside we are akin to a one party state.”
The proposed motion drew the ire and condemnation of Deputy Mayor Carl Johnson.
Speaking on the proposed amendment, he said: “I will not be supporting this amendment as you can imagine. And Councillor Bones you may not know the proper procedure to go through here, but we have just had a reviewed constitution, if Councillor Bones wished to propose opposition membership for scrutiny committees that would have been the appropriate place.
“He also would have been invited to a scrutiny review last year where he also could propose opposition membership of chairs of scrutiny committees and as far as I am aware that hasn’t been done.”
Coun Johnson also explained the other councils mentioned by Coun Bones had proportional committee chairmanships written into their constitution.
Coun Bones responded: “There we have it, Labour in North Tyneside are scared of scrutiny. The proper process chair is for any one to make a nomination for chair or deputy. Councillor Johnson is hiding behind process because he doesn't want to have proper scrutiny in North Tyneside and that’s the top and bottom of it.”
The amendment was taken to the vote. Only three Conservative councillors voted in favour, and the motion was rejected by 48 Labour votes to dismiss the proposal.
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