IT A FAILURE OF POLITICAL WILL!
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SAY NO TO R4U U-TURN ON CABINET REVIEW
The Residents for Uttlesford election manifesto in 2019 promised: "We will review
and improve or replace the current Cabinet system to make the District Council fairer
and to ensure all that all voices are heard."
"Fine words, which we agree with. But what is the reality", says Stansted Lib Dem
councillor, Geoffrey Sell? "The recommendation at last week's meeting of the
Governance Review Working Group was to stop work until Spring of 2021 on
reviewing the current Cabinet system. A reason given for this was that the Corporate
Plan had allocated no resources for the review."
Lib Dem councillors Ayub Khan and Geoffrey Sell both expressed their opposition
and labelled it "a failure of political will".
Said Cllr Khan, (Lib Dem, Stansted South & Birchanger): "If you think something is
important the necessary resources will be found".
The two Liberal Democrat councillors fortunately managed to secure the support of
colleagues from other parties. They are now recommending the continuance of the work of
the Governance Review Group.
Cllr Khan added "Now is not the time for R4U to put this on hold. We have to look at
how we can do better as a Council in communicating with and being accountable to
local residents."
Cllr Sell called upon the R4U administration to honour its manifesto pledge and to
commit the necessary resources so that the review can go ahead.