Statement at Special Rutland County Council, Meeting (Kangaroo Court) 10th January 2013, Councillor David Richardson

Statement at Special Council Meeting (Kangaroo Court) 10th January 2013

Tags: Kangaroo Court, Anti-Corruption, transparency, Accountability, openness
Jan 28 2013 6:04 PM

Full Council Meeting 10th January 2013

When the Conservative Coalition Government was elected, one of the first appointments was to make Kenneth Clarke the Government’s Anti-Corruption Champion and one of their first Acts was to introduce the Localism bill.

Under that Bill, the new Local Government Minister, Bob Neill, insisted that the new standards regime coming into force would take a “tough stance on council corruption”.

Neill criticised the Standards Board regime, which was dismantled amid claims it had become a “system of nuisance complaints".

He also argued that the old framework discouraged councillors from whistle-blowing or criticising waste and inefficiency in local government, “as it opened them up to complaints by local authority officers”.

The Minister said: "The Standards Board regime led to an explosion in petty, partisan and malicious complaints that dragged down the reputation of local government, as well as suppressing freedom of speech.

"Our reforms take a tough stance on council corruption by making serious misconduct a criminal offence, accompanied by the sunlight of transparency on financial interests. Such reforms will give local people the confidence that councillors are putting local residents' interests first."

The Government also produced: The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency.

It states:

Greater transparency of public bodies is at the heart of enabling the public to hold politicians and public bodies to account. Where public money is involved there is a fundamental public interest in being able to see how it is being spent, to demonstrate how value for money has been achieved or to highlight inefficiency.

Getting council business out in the open will revolutionise local government and enable the Big Society.

Transparency is the foundation of accountability. It is also a powerful means of promoting efficiency, without requiring the heavy-handed intervention of an unaccountable bureaucracy.

Local people should be able to hold politicians and public bodies to account over how their council tax is being spent, and decisions made on their behalf, increasing the accountability of councils to their residents.

Financial disclosure will act as a trigger enabling local taxpayers to see how councils are using public money, shine a spotlight on waste and establish greater accountability and efficiency.

I would now quote the following from the Councillors Guide 2011/12:

“Councillors Duty: • monitoring and reviewing policy formulation and implementation “

“In recognition of the increased responsibilities undertaken by councillors today, councils are expected to provide access to information.”

I would now refer Members to the following, taken from another Council’s website:

PROTOCOL ON CONSULTATION, ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND COUNCILLOR INVOLVEMENT IN COUNCIL BUSINESS BETWEEN COUNCILLORS AND OFFICERS:

It states;

2.1 Councillors are free to approach any Council Directorate/Department to provide them with such information, explanation and advice as they may reasonably need in order to assist them in discharging their role as members of the Council.

2.3 Councillors have a statutory right (under an Act of Parliament) to inspect any Council document, which contains material relating to any business, which is to be transacted at a Council, Committee or Sub-Committee meeting. This right applies irrespective of whether the Councillor is a member of the Committee or Sub-Committee concerned and extends not only to reports, which are to be submitted to the meeting, but also to any relevant background papers.

Openness, transparency, accountability and empowering Councillors is at the heart of the Conservative Government thinking.

As Councillors we are elected by the people to represent them and ensure accountability on their behalf. We have done nothing more than act in good faith, with the utmost of integrity and honesty in the interests of our electorate.

Councillor David Richardson

Oakham South West Ward