In article <z-2dnZxz15HO-5nUnZ2dnUVZ8h6dnZ2d@posted.plusnet>, 
lyn@cibwr.plus.com (Lyn David Thomas) wrote:

> John M Ward wrote:
> > In article <_ZmdnXjE16uHrJnUnZ2dnUVZ8qGdnZ2d@posted.plusnet>,
> >    Lyn David Thomas  wrote:
> >> rosenstiel@cix.compulink.co.uk wrote:
> >>> Stoke appears to have voted to go back to a leader-and-cabinet model
> >>> to replace the stupid and unique system of Mayor-and- Council
> >>> Manager system they had.
> >>>
> >>> YES 21,231 
> >>> NO 14,592 
> >>> Turnout 19.23 per cent.
> >>>
> >>> AIUI NO would have meant keeping a Mayor but with a Cabinet.
> >> Mayor and manager seems the worst of a bad set of choices.  Council
> >> Leader and Cabinet is better but not as good as having a cabinet that
> >> is just an executive coordinating committee and a proper system of
> >> debate and having all councillors taking part in decision making.
> > 
> > Funnily enough I was just about this very subject while Iwas in the
> > bathroom (late shower on Sundays!) and reminiscing about some of the
> > excellent work we all did before the Cabinet system was imposed 
> > on us. In particular, some of the sub-committees performed a lot of 
> > good real world om-the-ground work, of which my favourite was 
> > Highways & Public Transport Sub'.
> > 
> > Nowadays all we can do at Scrutiny is /recommend/ something to Cabinet
> > or (occasionally) to Full Council, and oposition members can never do
> > more than propose and vote on recommendations apart from (say) 
> > planning and licensing.  That isn't real democracy any more.
> 
> I agree, this desire for a strong leader is misplaced, yes clear 
> accountability is good, but reducing the council to a rubber stamp 
> is not good.  Certainly have one council member in a cabinet 
> responsible for the delivery of the policy but don't shut out other 
> members from the process of formulating that policy.

Cambridge has tried to include a wider circle of members with its 
pre-scrutiny system but it's hard work to find the resources to do so in a 
fairly small district council.

-- 
Cllr. Colin Rosenstiel
Cambridge                    http://www.rosenstiel.co.uk/
Cambridge Liberal Democrats: http://www.cambridgelibdems.org.uk/