Democracy under threat on Lancs CC (Fylde Liberal Democrats)

Fylde Liberal Democrats <info@fyldelibdems.org.uk>

Democracy under threat on Lancs CC

January 10, 2010 11:03 AM

"In some places the 'Cabinet System' works well but the detail of how it is used makes a huge difference," said County Cllr Bill Winlow, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Fylde. "Anyone who lives in Fylde will recognise exactly what I am talking about because the cabinet system serves Fylde very poorly. If you want to see how a future Conservative Government will act, look no further than Fylde BC or Lancashire CC. Neither of them works well and debate is stifled on both - what price democracy in Conservative hands? At present Lancashire County Council merely notes cabinet decisions with very little debate. If the cabinet system is abused it should be abolished and democratically elected councillors have their say again via an appropriately constructed committee structure". Bill was reacting to proposals from the Conservative ruling group on Lancs CC to close down Lancashire Locals without an adequate replacement and diminish the role of Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs). "These OSCs are the only real way for cabinet decisions to be scrutinised and despite criticism of Lancashire Locals they have an important influence on delegated budgets and centralised County decisions" added Bill.