Council cabinets close door on democracy

The Blair Government is eager to promote cabinets in local government, but Hammersmith have already jumped the gun, with an Executive Mayor and a Board of seven deputies since May 1998. Councillor Keith Mallinson reports.

When I was elected in May 1994 the council was streamlined into five main committees. Councillors were not bogged down with overloaded agendas, the paperwork was concise and enabled members to undertake effective constituency and committee work. The system involved all members.

Now that has all changed. Backbenchers are now banished. We no longer participate in decision-making, which now goes on behind closed doors by the gang of seven. Under this new system, decisions from the Mayor's Board can be called in to the new scrutiny committee of the council before ratification. It is chaired by the Chief Whip and has a voting membership of twelve, seven administration and three opposition backbenchers in addition to the chair and vice chair. Backbench members are rotated at every meeting, which means that members get the opportunity to speak at every fourth meeting.

Since its inception the opposition have called in around 30 items, with the administration calling in none, perhaps due to political pressure from the Whip. When I called in an item I was told that while under council rules it was admissible, the Labour Group had discussed the issue and it was therefore against Party policy.

Under the new system, backbenchers are not given the opportunity to scrutinise effectively or gain wider expertise. The executive enjoys an intimidating advantage - the deputies are well briefed and backed by their senior officers. In this environment the backbencher is not going to ask elementary questions for fear of being shown up.

There are dangers for democracy here. Should Labour find itself in opposition in future years and the Tories adopt the present system (although at the moment they are opposed) our role as Councillors would be minimal.

The Government has expressed concern at the low turnout in local elections. But how can the public have confidence in a system where decisions are taken behind closed doors and the majority of councillors shunted to the sidelines? If other councils are considering a change to an executive board system which will firmly establish a small political clique, I would caution comrades to subject any proposals to a thorough investigation.

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